T 


ON  BOARD  THE  "ROCKET." 


BY 


ROBERT   C,   ADAMS. 


**: Ships  are  but  boards,  sailors  but  men  :  there  be  land-rats 

and  water-rats,  water-thieves  and  land-thieves." 

-^Merchant  of  Venice, 


■i- , 


y-' 


T "     •    .  ■ 


-4«*- 


// 


h 


BOSTON^   ^^ 
D.  LOtHROP       COMPANY, 


OOPTRIOHT  BT 

RoBEUT    C.     Adamu, 
1879. 


"fc-.S     ..rV- 


^-^■^.-^.-^^ 


:,.    .■■■&■ 


PREFACE. 


ALL  the  incidents  of  this  book  are  facts,  occurring  in  the 
writer's  own  experience.  In  a  few  cases  names  have 
been  altered,  in  accordance  with  his  desire,  neither  to  give 
offence  to  the  living,  nor  to  cast  discredit  upon  the  dead.  He 
makes  no  apology  for  its  imperfections ;  for  he  issues  it,  not 
as  a  contribution  to  literature,  but  as  a  needed  exposure  of 
abuses  on  shipboard,  which  are  too  common,  but  too  little 
known.  He  refers  with  diffidence  to  his  own  methods  of 
discipline,  believing  that  in  the  principles  which  prompted 
them,  lie  the  means  of  promoting  the  interests  and  good 
repute  of  our  Merchant  Marine. 


■^-■'i    .,'■ 


(MI.) 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  12ocA:e«  — The  Cargo  — Shipping  the  Crew— The  Start— 
Rolling  —  Discomfort  —  Quiet  —  Gale — Storm  Music  — Disci- 
pline —  Northeast  Trades  —  Aye  I  Aye  I  —  Doldrums — Sharks 

—  A  Shark  Story  —  Southeast  Trades. 


CHAPTER  n. 

ASaucy  Sailor  — Sailors'  Treatment  —  An  Easy  Ship— Three 
Kinds  of  Discipline  — A  Good  Run— Proving  the  Reckon- 
ing—Sea  hirds.  ^  .^; 


..::v,>.;;,.;i^:,:^XHAPTER  in.^:,;;^^:  ■--; 

The  Voyage  of  the"Duhlhi"— Capt.Streeter— A  Darkey  Crew 
—No  Profanity — The  Mates — A  Bully— A  Tobacco  Cargo  — 

V. 


▼L  CONTENTS. 

Owner's  Instructions  —  A  Blower  — No  Sitting  Down  — 
Pomposity  —  Brass  Knnclvles  —  Flogging  — Tlie  Third  Mat-e 

—  Reefing  Topsails  —  Mr.  Jones — A  Smart  OlDcer  —  The 
Brick-wall  Theory  —  Reflections —Good  Advice  —  Land,  ho! 

'  — Porpoises  —  Mother  Carey's  Chickens  —  Captain  and  Mate 

—  Land  In  Siglit  —  Overheard  —  Gibraltar  —  Information  — 
— Where  Christ  was  born — In  the  Mediterranean  —  Jake  — 

—  Gulf  of  Lyons  —  Genoa  Bay  —  Quarantine — Discharging 
Cargo. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Voyage  of  the  "  Dublin"  concluded — Genova  La  Superba-" 
Leave  of  Absence  —  On  Shore  in  Italy  —  Loading  Marble  — 
Mates'  Opinions  about  Driving  Sailors  Ashore  —  Women  in 
Ships  — Anchor  at  Gibraltar —  Through  the  Straits  — Pumps 
Choked — How  to  Clinch  Buntlines  —Cleaning  the  Spittoon 

—  A  Sleepy  Officer's  Danger — Holystones  —  Beating  a  Boy 
— Officers'  Ambition  — Eternal  Vigilance  —  Old  Jenkings  — 
A  Breeze  Aloft  — The  Pilot's  Rebuff— Blood  Tubs  — Paying 
Off  —  Promotion  —  The  Mate  and  the  Owner. 


CHAPTER  V. 

John  Shephard  —  My  Model  Sailor  —  Christmas  —  Ode  to  the 
iJocA^ef  —  Grub  —  Doubtful  Islands — Becalmed  off  Java  — 
Officers'  Yarns— Off  Java  Head  —  Narrow  Escape — A  Float- 
lug  Light. 

,-       -  ,  '      '■  ■  ,"'.''"■">" 

"■''"'-,-  --    ■      ■  '  '■■''■''. 

-V      ;       ■■     .      ...     ■  .',■■■     :    :s,- 

-  -  - :  ,v^. .  -  :■     CHAPTER  VL    ri::--'  ~  ----^^-  -: 

^    -,-■■■■  ,.:  .    -;  -f-      ■" '  '--■  '  "V^  "\--. 

_■    \y'     .*...■■    V         .■   '  '       ■  "      - 

Life  in  the  East  Indies  — Carimata  Passage  —  Singapore  —Throe 
Months'  Extra  Pay. 


CONTENTS.  •  TlL 


CHAPTER  VIL 


Penang  —  Penang  IIlll  —Nearly  Wrecked  —  Deliverance  —West ' 
Coast  of   Sumatra  —  Padang  —  Padang  Thieves  —  Padang 
Church  — Malay    Ordination  — Padang   Drives— Native* — 
Captain  Btowhard  —  Insolence. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Another  Voyage  in  the  "  Dublin" — Second  Mate— Mr.  Howard'i 
Grievances  —  Mr.  Howard  Leaves  —  Leaking  —  The  New 
Mate  — Second  Mates'  Duties  —  Ships'  Work  —  Squalls — 
Old  Harry  —  At  the  Fore-truck  —Amsterdam  —  Dutchmen 

—  The  Captain's  Relapse— Worrying  the  Second  Mate  — 
Dreams— A  Growl  — A  Cabin  Conference  —  An  Irish  Sailor 

—  Two  Finnish  Sailors*  -         ^ 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Another  Voyage  In  the  "Dublin"  concluded— A  North  Sea 
Gale  — The  Lee  Shore  — In  Distress  —  Good-bye  to  Old 
Ilarry  —  Captain's  Yarns  —  Bullies  —  Gothenburg  —Another 
Start  — Decks  Swept— Stopping  the  Leak  —  Hurrying  the 
Crew  — A  Hard  Life  — A  Freezing  Gale  — A  False  Bearing 
—  Weather wise  — Leaving  the  "Dublin" —Mr.  Wright's 
Letter— Capt.  Streeter' 8  End. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Land  Again  — The  "Flying  Dutchman"— A  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  Gale  —  Gales  —  Rolling  Down  to  St.  Helena  —  Watch 
and  Watch  —  Tarring  Down  —  Sailors'  Growls  —  Sailors' 
Opinions  — Discontent  in  the  Cabin  — Ills  of  Sea  Life. 


vill. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Sailors'  Resources  —  The  Tar  Barrel  —  A  Wild  Ship — Board- 
ing a  Vessel  —  Ready  for  Port. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Sailors'  Songs  —  Bully  or  Coax  —  Treatment  of  Sailors  — 
5  •  ooner  "  Jane  "  —  A  Mackerel  Shower  —  Fog  on  the  Coast 
—Taking  a  Pilot— Arrived— Paying  off  — Scraping  Belay- 
ing Pirn. 


■;.■    '■',' 


.  «  V 


"Once  more  upon  the  waters,  yet  once  morel 

And  the  waves  bound  beneath  me,  as  a  steed 

That  knows  his  rider." 

— ByrorCi  Childe  Harold. 


'*Who  would  not  sell  a  farm  and  go  to  sea  ?  ^*^8ailar  Proverb, 


-.>'•''.,:» 


•-«.'♦' 


/  ■■  / 


. .  "S  •;;"":;;  h 


ON  BOARD  THE  "ROCKET/* 


CHAPTER   I. 


IN  Lloyds  Register  is  recorded  :  —  "  Rochet^  Bk. 
884,  135,  25,  16.5, 1851,  Medford,  W.  O.,  icf.," 
which  being  interpreted  means,  Bark  Rocket^ 
384  toDs,  135  feet  long,  25  feet  beam,  16|  feet 
depth  of  hold,  built  in  1851,  at  Medford,  of  white 
oak,  with  iron  and  copper  fastenings.  To  which 
may  be  added,  that  she  was  a  well  known  trader 
to  the  East  Indies,  being  called  in  those  ports  "  the 
green  bark,"  on  account  of  being  painted  a  dark 
green,  or  what  the  painters  style  tea  color.  She 
was  a  good  looking  vessel,  neatly  finished  about 
the  decks,  and  the  masts  and  yards  were  all  scraped 
bright.  The  chief  peculiarity  was  that  she  was 
narrow  in  proportion  to  her  length,  being  com- 
pared by  an  old  sailor  to  "  a  plank  set  on  edge." 
Tljs  caused  her  to  be  reputed,  and  not  unde- 
servedly, a  crank  vessel,  and  many  a  gloomy 
croaker  has  uttered  the  foreboding  that  like  her 
sister  ship,  the  '*  Dauntless,"  she  would  go  to  sea 
sometime  —  never  to  return.     Yet  for  many  years 

13 


14  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

she  had  gone  and  come,  and  though  occasionally 
threatening  to  capsize,  she  had  never  really  per- 
formed this  undesirable  manoeuvre.  The  builder 
and  the  subsequent  owner  were  two  of  the  most 
practical  merchants  of  Boston.  She  must  there- 
fore have  been  well  put  together  and  properly 
cared  for,  as  there  was  truth  in  the  remark  made, 

that  "  what  Nat  G ,  and  Dick  B didn't 

know  about  a  ship  wasn't  worth  knowing." 

The  Rochet  was  lying  at  Central  Wharf  in 
Boston,  loading  a  cargo  for  the  East  Indies.  Bar- 
rels of  beef,  pork,  tar  and  pitch  were  stowed  in 
the  bottom  ;  then  followed  in  miscellaneous  order, 
lumber,  sewing  machines,  kerosene  oil,  flour,  bis- 
cuits, preserves,  ice  pitchers,  carriages,  oars  and 
many  other  articles.      -    '         j 

As  the  sailing  day  drew  near,  the  important  mat- 
ter of  choosing  officers  and  crew  had  to  be  consid- 
ered. The  first  person  who  applied  was  an  aspirant 
to  the  mate's  berth. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  to  sea  ?  "  was  asked. 

"Thirty  years.'* 

"Why  I  how  old  are  you ?  '* 

"  Twenty-nine." 

"How  do  you  make  that  out?  " 

"  Oh,  I  was  born  and  bred  at  sea." 

He  was  thought  to  be  too  old  a  sailor  for  a 
yoimg  captain  to  manage,  and  was  not  engaged. 
Soon   a  young  man  applied,   with  more  modest 


THE   CREW.  16 

demeanor,  and  he  was  secured.  The  rest:  of  the 
crew  were  soon  picked  out.  Wishing  to  choose 
for  mj^self  who  should  sail  with  me  for  so  many 
montlj.s,  the  shipping  master  was  told  to  send  on 
board  any  good  men  who  -^^pplied  to  him,  giving 
the  preference  to  Norwegians  and  Swedes,  these 
being,  in  my  opinion,  both  in  seamanship  and  docil- 
ity, the  best  class  of  sailors  that  man  our  vessels. 
Germans  and  Scotchmen  he  was  told  to  favor  next, 
then  Englishmen,  and  lastly  Irishmen,  for  these, 
though  often  capital  seamen,  do  not  as  readily  as 
some  others  endiu^e  privations  without  grumbling, 
and  are  too  strong  republicans  to  be  always  sub- 
missive subjects  of  a  despotic  government  such  as 
that  of  shipboard.  American  sailors  unfortunately 
are  not  often  in  the  choice.  They  are  soon  pro- 
moted from  the  forecastle,  if  they  enter  it,  or  else 
after  short  service  find  they  can  do  better  on  shore, 
than  by  leading  a  dog's  life  at  sea. 

One  afternoon  in  September  all  the  crew  were 
mustered  on  board.  Captain  Jack  Frost  came 
alongside  with  his  tug  boat,  and  his  cheery  voice 
hailed,  "  Are  you  all  ready.  Cap.  ?  Pass  out  your 
lines ! "  The  owner  said,  "  Good-by,"  and  mov- 
ing towards  his  yacht,  added,  "  I'm  going  to  give 
you  a  race  down  the  harbor."  The  fasts  were  cast 
off,  the  bark  was  tugged  out  into  the  stream  ;  then 
with  topsails  set  before  a  strong  nor'wester  she 
showed  the  towboat  the  advisability  of  getting  out 
of  her  way.    We  should  have  thought  she  was 


16  ON   BOAED  THE   ROCKET, 

sailing  fast,  had  not  the  yacht  ''  Vesta  "  overtaken 
us,  crossed  our  bow,  and  boomed  away  down  Broad 
Sound,  under  jib  and  raaiusail.  Just  inside  of 
Boston  light  we  rounded  to  and  let  the  pilot  get 
into  the  canoe  from  the  station  pilot  boat ;  then, 
filling  away,  the  course  was  shaped  for  Cape  Cod 
and  the  voyage  had  begun.  The  anchors  being 
secured,  the  topgallantsails  were  loosed,  and  leav- 
ing all  the  accompanying  fleet  astern,  away  we  sped, 
ten  knots  an  hour,  and  in  four  hours  passed  the 
Race  Light. 

The  crew  numbered  eight  men  and  two  boys 
before  the  mast,  a  cook,  cabin  boy,  two  mates  and 
captain,  fifteen  all  told,  besides  one  passenger,  a 
young  gentleman  travelling  for  health.  Owing  to 
the  late  hour  in  the  day  at  which  we  sailed,  the 
men  had  taken  several  parting  glasses  with  their 
friends,  and  some  were  inclined  to  be  troublesome. 
The  officers  managed  judiciously  and  kept  them 
quiet,  but  the  mate  remarked,  he  thought  we  had 
*'  a  pretty  hard  crew."  The  watches  were  chosen 
and  the  port  watch  sent  below  at  eight  o'clock, 
in  accordance  with  the  old  maxim  "  the  master 
takes  her  out  and  the  mate  brings  her  home."  By 
this  rule  the  watch  variously  known  as  the  second 
mate's,  starboard,  or  captain's  watch,  takes  eiglit 
hours  on  deck  the  first  night  outward  bound,  and 
the  mate's,  or  port  watch,  does  the  same  the  first 
night  of  the  homeward  bound  passage. 

The  wiad  had  dvawi)  more  northerly,  becoming? 


BOLLIKG.  17 

rather  "scant"  for  a  course  north  of  George's 
Shoal,  so  we  squared  away  down  South  Channel. 
Being  light  before  wind  and  sea,  the  bark,  having 
a  large  proportion  of  her  heavy  cargo  m  the  lower 
hold,  began  to  roll  most  distressingly.  She  seemed 
to  nearly  dip  each  rail  alternatelj''  in  quif*.k  succes- 
sion.. As  the  night  wore  on  it  grew  worse  and 
worse,  every  drawer  slid  out  in  the  state-rooms,  the 
doors  of  lockers  swung  open,  their  contents  got 
adrift,  kegs  of  paint  took  to  rolling,  the  turpentine- 
can  upset,  scenting  the  air,  and  the  pantry  floor 
showed  a  medley  of  tin  ware,  crockery,  brooms, 
edibles  and  sundry  "  small  stores "  engaged  in 
kaleidoscopic  performances.  After  getting  some 
of  these  things  secured  more  firmly  than  had  been 
possible  in  the  haste  of  their  reception,  the  weary 
skipper  went  to  his  bed,  but  not  to  sleep.  The 
berth  was  fore-and-aft  and  he  rolled  from  side  to 
side  with  every  motion.  Then,  in  distraction,  he 
removed  to  the  transom  sofa  running  'thwartships 
across  the  cabin,  and  here  he  slipped  up  and  down, 
standing  now  on  his  feet  and  then  on  his  head. 
0,  the  miseries  of  that  night  I  The  close  cabin, 
the  smoky  oil-lamp,  the  smell  of  turpentine  and 
the  quick,  incessant  motion  created  suggestions  of 
sea  sickness,  even  to  a  veteran  mariner.  The  mind 
sympathized  with  the  body,  and  thus  the  captain 
reflected :  —  "  O,  what  a  fool  I  am  to  go  to  sea, 
there  are  the  beautiful  home,  the  spacious  rooms, 
the  comfortable  and  steady  bed,  the  beloved  family 


18  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

circle.  What  have  I  done  ?  Renounced  them  all 
for  a  year.  For  what?  To  be  shut  up  in  thia 
dismal  den,  with  a  crowd  of  rude  vagabonds,  de- 
prived of  everything  that  makes  life  enjoyable, 
and  visited  with  everything  to  make  it  miserable. 
Only  let  me  set  foot  on  shore  again  and  you'll 
never  catch  me  on  board  of  a  ship." 

The  morning  light  was  welcome  and  George's 
Shoals  being  well  cleared,  the  vessel's  course  was 
altered  to  the  eastward,  bringing  the  wind  more 
on  the  side  and  steadying  her  movements.  This  is 
one  of  the  pleasures  of  sea  life,  the  cessation  of 
motion.  "  Then  are  they  glad  because  they  be 
quiet."  But  as  sea-life  originates  the  evil,  it 
deserves  no  credit  for  the  temporary  relief.  The 
breeze  moderated  and  we  made  easy  progress, 
while  the  crew  were  busily  at  work  stowing 
anchors  and  chains,  putting  on  chafing  gear,  and 
making  the  various  preparations  for  a  long  voy- 
age. A  pilot  boat  came  under  our  stern  to  satisfy 
her  curiosity  as  to  our  identity.  As  she  disap- 
peared, we  felt  that  our  last  friend  on  American 
shores  had  left  us,  and  we  set  our  faces  resolutely 
towards  the  regions  beyond.  The  next  day  the 
weather  became  threatening.  Though  October 
had  set  in,  no  gale  had  yet  occurred  fit  to  be 
named  ''  the  equinoctial  storm,"  therefore,  one  was 
considered  due  by  all  who  believed  in  that  old- 
fashioned  institution.  A  gale  did  come,  but  ita 
connection  with  the  equinox  was  not  clearly  estab- 


':•„:..._;;■•,■:  GALE.   \.:1 --.r'^^  --.-— ^^rl9 

lished.  It  blew  fiercely  enough,  however,  to  de- 
serve that  respectable  title,  and  forced  the  vessel 
to  lie  to  under  a  close-reefed  maintopsail,  which 
finally  had  to  be  " goosewinged  "  (one  side  of  it 
furled.)  The  mate  went  aloft  himself  to  encourairo 
the  crew  in  braving  the  storm.  For  two  hours  it 
blew  with  almost  hurricane  violence,  or  as  the  mate 
expressed  it,  "  a  perfect  screamer,"  and  we  began 
to  fear  we  should  not  escape  unharmed,  as  the  seas 
were  getting  very  "  ugly."  But  the  Rocket  lay  to 
safely  and  behaved  splendidly.  All  night  the 
wind  held  on  with  violence,  but  at  daybreak  it 
began  to  moderate  and  we  escaped  with  no  other 
damage  than  splitting  a  jib  and  foretopmast  stay- 
sail. 

A  gale  of  wind  at  night  is  a  sublime,  though 
•earful,  scene.  The  ship  plunges  wildly  in  the 
darkness,  and  skies  and  waters  are  equally  black, 
only  relieved  by  the  foaming  crests  of  the  moun- 
tain waves.  But  perhaps  the  most  impressive  feat- 
ure is  the  music  of  the  gale,  nature's  grand  organ, 
or,  if  any  prefer  the  simile,  its  bagpipe.  The  sub- 
)ass  of  the  storm,  as  it  sweeps  over  the  waves 
igainst  the  hull  and  through  the  lower  rigging  of 
ihe  ship,  forms  the  great  volume  of  sound,  and 
ibove,  in  constantly  changing  variety,  come  shrieks, 
creams,  wailings  and  whistlings  of  every  pitch 
-nd  intensity,  sounding  from  aloft  as  the  wind 
irives  through  sheave-holes,  against  the  small  rig- 
jing,  and  into  cracks  in  the  spars.    Few  listen  to 


I 


20  ON   BOAKD  THE  ROCKET.. 

these  sounds  without  an  impression  of  awe  or  even 
dread,  and  many  a  brave  heart,  which  scarcely 
.  knows  the  meaning  of  the  word  fear,  has  felt  a 
thrill  and  shudder  as  the  discordant  screams  and 
liowlings  of  the  midnight  gale  unite  with  the  roar- 
iiig  and  dashing  of  the  breaking  waves. 

For  the  next  three  days  we  tumbled  about  in 
the  subsiding  waves,  and  experienced  the  most  un- 
pleasant part  of  a  storm,  which  is  not  positively 
dangerous.  The  excitement  and  touch  of  romance 
jjertaining  to  the  gale  have  gone.  The  disagree- 
able motion,  as  the  ship,  not  steadied  by  the  force 
of  the  wind,  is  tossed  to  and  fro  on  the  waves, 
which  the  gale  leaves  to  testify  of  its  vehemence, 
causes  much  discomfort.  Then  we  "  reel  to  and 
fro  and  stagger  like  a  drunken  man  and  are  at  our 
wits  end "  how  to  maintain  composure  of  mind, 
amidst  so  much  bodily  disquietude. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  voyage,  I  took 
the  first  opportunity  to  call  the  officers  together 
on  tlie  poop-deck,  and  privately  instruct  them  in 
my  ideas  of  discipline.        ■      ^  >:         !^ 

This  was  the  drift  of  my  remarks:       jr 

For  some  years  past  I  have  made  it  a  rule  that 
there  shall  be  no  cursing  or  blows  used  or  given  on 
board  of  ni}^  ship.  In  saying  this,  I  do  not  mean 
tliat  I  wish  sailors  to  be  allowed  to  do  as  they  like, 
or  that  I  do  not  wish  good  discipline  maintained. 
I  have  sometimes  had  to  reprove  officers  for  curs- 
ijig  the  men  and  throwing  belaying  pins  at  them, 


DISCIPLINE.  21 

and  they  seemed  to  feel  that  I  had  curtailed  their 
rights.  With  a  vindictive  spirit,  disguised  by  an 
air  of  injured  innocence,  they  then  neglected  tlieir 
luty  and  made  no  effort  to  keep  the  crew  in  proper 
irder,  saying,  "  If  the  old  man  doesn't  care,  I'm 
sure  I  don't.''  Let  me  tell  you  my  plan  of  keep- 
jiiig  discipline. 

When  we  start  on  a  voyage  the  crew  generally 
Icome  on  board  more  or  less  under  the  influence  of 
iliquor.     Some  of  them  are    all   ready  for  a  fight 
and  do  their  best  to  bring  it  on.     If  you  choose  to 
Lave  a  row,  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to 
find  opportunity  for  it,  and  you  know  how  fre- 
Iquently  the  occasion  is  seized,  and  the  ship's  deck 
s  stained  with  blood  before  she  is  clear  of  the  land, 
ow  at  the  start,  I  say.  Shut  your  eyes  and  ears  to 
|iiistances  of  personal  disrespect,  and  do  not  use 
■Qice  to  exact  the  performance  of  duty,  unless  as 
last  resort  when  the  interests  of  the  ship  posi- 
ively  require  it.     As  soon  as  you  can  spare  men 
:rom  work,  get  into  their  bunks  those  who  are  so 
ilrunk  as  to  be  troublesome  and   let  them  sleep 
hem  selves  sober.     You  will  often,  or  indeed  gen- 
rally,  find  that  these  are  the  best  "sailor  men  "  in 
lie  ship.     It  was  the  rum  that  made  the  trouble, 
[Hid  I  believe  the  only  successful  way  of  fighting 
um  is  to  attack  it  before  it  gets  inside  of  men. 
'riinken  men  are  more  easily  controlled  than  we 
;hink,  but  it  requires  tact  to  deal  with  them,  and, 
bove  all,  kindness.    I  had  a  sailor  last  voyage 


22  ON   BOAKD   THE    ROCKET. 

wlio  was  roaring  about  the  deck,  brimful  of  fight, 
using  his  insolence  to  gain  a  chance  to  work  it  off. 
1  stopped  up  to  him,  and  he  straightened  back  to 
return  tlie  expected  blow.  To  Iiis  evident  sur- 
prise I  just  laid  my  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  and 
in  a  kind  but  decided  tone  said,  "  My  man,  you  go 
to  your  bunk."  He  fired  up,  and  said  in  a  saucy 
way,  "  Do  you  mean  to  say  I  can't  do  my  duty  ?  "  I 
replied,  "  We  don't  need  you  just  now,  you'll  feel 
better  after  you've  had  a  nap,  and  we  will  call  you 
to  turn  to  just  as  soon  as  we  want  you."  "  All 
right,  sir,"  he  growled,  in  a  disappointed  sort  of 
way,  and  tumbled  into  the  forecastle.  The  next 
morning  he  appeared  on  deck  as  quiet  and  civil  as 
any  body,  and  during  the  voyage,  after  he  got 
over  a  touch  of  the  horrors,  he  proved  to  be  the 
best  sailor-man  on  board,  and  was  always  as  re- 
spectful as  I  could  wish.  There  are  many  vessels 
where  he  would  have  been  off  duty  a  week  with 
a  broken  head,  and  then  have  needed  a  second 
thrashing  to  take  the  ugliness  out  of  him.  |^ 

After  we  are  fairly  at  sea  things  generally  go 
on  smoothly  for  about  a  fortnight  and  then  the 
sailors  begin  to  try  experiments,  to  feel  their 
officers'  disposition,  test  their  strictness,  and  decide 
how  much  liberty  they  can  take.  The  first  sign  of 
this  is  the  neglect  to  give  an  answer  to  orders,  or 
omitting  the  word  "  Sir  "  from  their  reply.  They 
watch  to  see  if  this  is  noticed,  and  if  it  is  not, 


DISCIPLINB.  V     SB 

tlicy  advance  to  other  liberties,  and  the  inch  being 
granted  they  very  soon  take  the  ell. 

When  you  find  this  state  of  things  beginning 
and  a  man  ceases  to  give  a  respectful  answer 
chock  him  for  it  in  a  manly  way,  and  give  him  to 
understand  that  such  things  will  not  be  allowed  on 
Ijoiird  of  this  vessel.  Do  not  curse  him,  nor  strike  ; 
him,  nor  threaten  him  in  a  way  to  make  him  ugly, 
bnt  rather  seek  while  maintaining  your  authority 
to  give  an  impression  of  its  justice.  If  he  con  tin-  * 
ues  to  repeat  his  offence  after  this,  then  punish, 
him  for  it,  by  keeping  him  up  in  his  watch  below, 
by  giving  him  disagreeable  work,  by  stationing  him 
aloft  in  the  night,  or  by  any  little  requirement, 
which  will  make  him  feel  that  he  is  controlled  and 
compelled  to  do  something  against  his  will.  If 
this  fails  to  subdue  him,  after  a  patient  trial  of  it, 
(for  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  every  unruly 
spirit  is  to  be  conquered  in  a  moment,)  the  thing 
to  be  done  next  is  to  report  him  to  the  captain. 
He  is  tliQ  only  one  to  whom  the  law  gives  power 
to  inflict  punishment.  If  you  undertake  to  use 
force  you  are  in  danger  of  prosecution  when  you 
arrive  in  port,  and  you  are  well  aware  that  our 
courts  are  very  jealous  for  the  sailor's  rights. 
The  captain  should  then  take  the  matter  up  and 
adopt  such  measures  of  correction  as,  in  his  judg- 
ment, the  case  requires.  Very  often  a  simple  re- 
proof from  him  will  be  all  that  is  necessary,  as 
showing  his  decided  espousal  of  his  officers'  cause, 


24  ON  BOARD  THE  BOOKBT. 


and  determination  to  stand  by  them.  When  this 
is  proved,  Jack  will  be  apt  to  give  in,  but  in  au 
obstinate  case  irons  may  be  the  necessar}^  resort. 

Of  course  I  don't  wish  to  be  annoyed  with  the 
report  of  every  little  misdemeanor  or  sign  of  in- 
subordination ;  bnt  when  you  fail  to  suppress  them 
by  the  means  I  have  referred  to,  then  let  me  know 
about  it.  If  you  will  adopt  this  course,  although 
at  firfc:t  it  may  be  too  slow  a  method  for  you,  I  will 
promise  you  that  when  we  reach  home  you  will 
say  you  never  got  more  work  out  of  a  crew,  and 
never  made  a  passage  in  which  you  took  so  much 
comfort,  or  which  you  remembered  with  so  great 
satisfaction. 

We  gave  the  crew  watch  and  watch,  and  Satur- 
day afternoon  was  allowed  them  for  mending  and 
washing  clothes.  Sunday  at  9  A.M.  services  were 
held  in  the  cabin.  Attendance  was  not  compul- 
sory, but  as  a  rule  all  hands  were  present,  except 
the  man  at  the  wheel  and  the  ofBcer  of  the  deck. 
We  made  tolerable  runs  down  to  hit.  30°  N , 
whicli  we  crossed  in  Ion.  40°  W.,  eleven  days  out ; 
but  here  for  a  few  days  the  "horse  latitudes" 
assailed  us  with  their  calms.  We  whistled  for  the 
wind,  wondered  how  Job  would  have  acted  if  he 
had  ever  been  becalmed,  tried  hard  to  be  patient, 
and  thought  we  were  at  the  threshold  of  success, 
when  at  last  the  wind  settled  at  the  eastward.  A 
steady  freshening  breeze  proved  we  had  got  tlie 
noithoast  trades,  and  the  log  line,  as    it   markei 


KOBTH-EAST   TRADES.  -  26 

nine  knots  over  the  taffrail,  enabled  us  to  be  pa- 
tient without  further  effort. 

Kunning  along  by  the  wind  at  the  rate  of  eight 
and  nine  knots  an  hour,  with  a  regular  sea  tliat 
gave  only  a  pleasing  motion  to  the  vessel,  and  a 
blue  sky  enlivened  by  the  swiftly  flying,  fleecy 
trade-wind  clouds,  we  understood  the  reality  of 
"  the  romance  of  the  sea."  Flying-fish  continually 
darted  out  from  under  the  ship's  bow,  the  beauti- 
ful lleet  dolphins  ran  races,  constantly  beating  us 
and  coming  back  to  try  it  again,  the  fat,  puffing 
porpoises  occasionally  tumbled  across  our  hawse 
and  went  snorting  off  to  windward ;  the  sea  was 
strewn  with  patches  of  gulf-weed,  and  Mother 
Carey's  chickens  tripped  about  amongst  it  as 
though  afraid  of  wetting  their  feet  while  searching 
for  food.  There  was  always  something  to  see,  and 
lile  was  never  monotonous. 

About  this  time  I  noticed  that  the  first  signs  of 
the  relaxing  of  discipline  were  beginning  to  appear, 
in  the  occasional  neglect  of  the  sailors  to  answer 
when  spoken  to.  1  watched  to  see  if  the  mates 
attempted  to  correct  it,  as  1  desired  they  should 
control  the  men  in  minor  matters,  and  I  was  re- 
lieved soon  by  hearing  the  mate  call  out,  "  Why 
don't  you  answer  when  I  speak  to  you?  "  A  brief 
''growl"  followed,  but  the  sailor,  a  Swede  named 
Peterson  gave  in,  declared  he  meant  no  disrespect 
and  intended  to  do  his  duty. 

The  next  thing  that  occurred  in  tho  matter  of 


26  ON   BOAKD   THE  ROCKET. 

discipline  was,  that  one  night  I  heard  "  Old  Brown  " 
reply,  "Aye!  aye!"  to  an  order  from  the  second 
mate,  omitting  the  word  "  Sir."  This  is  considered 
a  great  breach  of  ship  etiquette ;  trivial  as  it  seems, 
I  was  annoyed  that  the  second  mate  took  no  notice 
of  it.  The  next  day  I  spoke  to  both  parties  separ- 
ately about  it,  and  the  sailor  professed  to  be  utterly 
unconscious  of  his  omission.  He  received  a  brief 
lecture  and  gave  all  desirable  promises  of  respectful 
behavior,  and  "Sirs"  were  very  clear  and  disthict 
for  a  while.  The  sailors  seeing  that  they  were 
kept  up  to  the  mark  in  these  little  matters,  natur- 
ally concluded  that  they  would  not  be  allowed  to 
do  as  they  liked  in  greater  concerns,  and  the  routine 
of  watch  and  watch  went  on  harmoniously  and 
efficiently. 

When  twenty  days  out  we  found  ourselves 
within  seven  degrees  of  the  line,  but  here  the 
trades  left  us,  and  for  nearly  a  fortnight  the  "  dol- 
drums "  raged.  The  bark  drifted  about  with  light 
airs  from  the  southward,  dead  ahead,  or  else  lay 
like  a  log  on  the  glassy  sea,  rolling  lazily  with  the 
swell,  her  sails  slatting  and  spars  creaking  at  every 
roll..  .  .,  V.-- 

An  officer  of  a  ship  must  have  good  nerves  to  be 
able  to  endure  with  patience  that  dreadful  slatting 
and  creaking,  even  had  he  no  interest  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  vessel;  but  to  one  earnestly  desirous  of 
making  a  quick  passage,  as  is  usually  the  case  with 
the  captain,  the  doldrums  are  the'  severest  test  of 


I.Vi' 


Im  continues  !  Utter  disgust !  Captain's  growl,  "  a  sea  life  should 
be  avoided  and  excrated  by  all  sensible  Men.  It  is  an  utter  stag- 
nation of  intellect  and  heart  and  only  .Icvelopes  hatred  toward  our 
fellow-men  and  murmuring  at  God's  Providence.  I  have  tried  it 
from  beginning  to  end  and  I  solemnlvand  deliberatelv  pronounce 
It  a  dog's  life. 


D0IJ)RUM3.  29 

n 

disposition  that  can  be  applied.  As  he  walks  the 
quarter-deck,  whistling  through  his  teeth,  search- 
ing in  all  corners  of  the  horizon  for  signs  of  a 
I  breeze,  he  discovers  in  the  distance  a  rippling  of 
the  water.  It  gradually  comes  nearer  the  vessel 
and  greets  her  with  a  gentle  air.  The  captain 
orders  all  sail  to  be  set,  and  the  canvas  swells  out 
to  the  wind;  the  rudder  stops  its  thumping,  the 
water  begins  to  gurgle  in  the  wake,  and  the  cap- 
tain, watching  the  rate  of  speed  as  he  leans  over  the 
lee-quarter,  exclaims,  "That's  the  breeze  I  go  it, 
old  boat!  good-by  to  the  doldrums  I"  But  the 
wind  lessens;  there  comes  an  ominous  slat  of  the 
spanker,  and  a  jingling  of  the  sheet  blocks  that 
strikes  dismay  to  the  "  old  man's  "  heart.  He  starts 
up  to  windward,  looks  for  the  breeze  and  finds  it 
to  be  but  a  catspaw.  After  the  sails  have  Happed 
about  for  a  few  minutes,  if  belonging  to  a  certain 
class  of  men,  the  captain  in  savage  tones  orders  the 
courses  hauled  up,  the  spanker  lowered  and  jibs 
and  staysails  hauled  down.  Then  he  tlirows  his 
hat  on  deck  and  jumps  on  top  of  it,  cursing  every- 
tliiiig  "  from  an  inch  high  and  a  year  old  upwards." 
Ho  now  casts  his  eye  aloft  and  snarls  out  at  the 
mate,  '^  Why  don't  you  keep  those  gaskets  made 

Eip ;  nobody  seems  to  care  anything  for  the  ship, 
he  would  go  to  destruction  if  it  wasn't  for  me." 
The  mate  gives  an  order  to  a  sailor,  and  as  in  the 
leat  and  dullness   of  the    time   he    is  not   dis- 
osed  to  move  very  briskly,  the   angered  mate 


80  ON  BOABD  THE  EOCKET. 

vents  his  spleen  by  a  curse  or  opprobrious  epithet. 
Perhaps  a  fight  follows,  or  merely  a  war  of  words ; 
the  rest  of  the  crew  become  disaffected ;  at  dinner- 
time they  go  to  the  galley  and  growl  at  the  cook  for 
not  giving  them  more  or  better  grub ;  and  so  from 
stem  to  stern  of  the  ship,  bitterness,  wrath,  anger, 
clamor,  evil  speaking,  with  all  malice  abound. 

In  the  centre  of  this  doldrum  region  clouds  and 
heavy  rains  prevail.  Torrents  sometimes  fall  so 
continuously  that  the  surface  water  becomes  sensi- 
bly freshened.  The  great  "  cloud  belt "  overhangs 
this  region  of  gloom.  The  air  is  sultry  and  oppres- 
sive, making  the  body  weary  and  the  spu'it  de- 
pressed. I  believe  no  region  on  the  surface  of 
the  globe  sends  to  the  Ear  above  such  a  volume  of 
murmurings,  blasphemies  and  strife.         .r 

Concerning  this  place  Lieut.  Maury  quotes  from 
the  journal  of  Commodore  Sinclair:  "This  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  most  unpleasant  regions  in  our 
globe.  A  dense,  close  atmosphere,  except  for  a 
few  hours  after  a  thunder-storm,  during  which 
time  torrents  of  rain  fall,  when  the  air  becomes  a 
little  refreshed ;  but  a  hot,  glowing  sun  heats  it 
again,  and  but  for  your  awning  and  the  little  air 
put  in  circulation  by  the  continual  flapping  of  the 
ship's  sails  it  would  be  almost  insufferable.  No 
person  who  has  not  crossed  this  region  can  form  an 
adequate  idea  of  its  unpleasant  effects.  You  feel 
a  degree  of  lassitude  unconquerable^  which  not 
rven  the  sea-batlung  wliich  everywhere  else  proved 


DOLDKUMS.  81 

SO  salutary  and  renovating  can  dispel.  Except 
when  in  actual  danger  of  shipwreck  I  never  spent 
twelve  more  disagreeable  days. 

"I  crossed  the  line  and  sooia  found  I  had  sur- 
mounted all  the  difficulties  consequent  to  that 
event;  that  the  breeze  continued  to  freshen  and 
draw  round  to  the  south  south-east,  bringing  witii 
it  a  clear  sky  and  most  heavenly  temperature, 
renovating  and  refreshing  beyond  description. 
Nothing  was  now  to  be  seen  but  cheerful  counte- 
nances, exchanged  as  by  enchantment  from  that 
sleepy  sluggishness  which  had  borne  us  all  down 
for  the  last  two  weeks."  Maury  himself  says  of 
it :  "  Besides  being  a  region  of  calms  and  baffling 
winds  it  is  a  region  noted  for  its  rains  and  clouds 
which  make  it  one  of  the  most  oppressive  and 
disagreeable  places  at  sea.  The  emigrant  ships 
from  Europe  to  Australia  have  to  cross  it.  They 
are  often  baffled  in  it  for  two  or  three  weeks ;  then 
tlie  children  and  tlie  passengers  who  are  of  delicate 
health  suffer  most.  It  is  a  frightful  graveyard  on 
tlie  wayside  to  that  golden  land." 

The  memory  of  days,  nights  and  weeks  repeated 
at  intervals  through  many  years,  when  disappoint- 
ment, depression,  vexation  and  sadness  have  been 
my  companions,  impel  me  to  heap  up  testimony 
against  this  dreadful  place,  the  dark  valley  of  the 
waters.  Far  more  cheerful  to  the  sailor  are  the 
ror  ing  gales  of  Cape  Horn  than  the  sluggish, 
damp,  provoking  airs  of  the  Doldrums. 


k 


82  ON  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 


But  there  is  sometimes  mirth  in  the  Doldi'uma, 
and  one  afternoon  the  capture  of  a  shark  gave  us 
diversion  and  amusement.  A  dead  cahii  prevailed  ; 
not  a  ripple  stirred  the  water,  and  the  dull,  sluggish 
swells  of  the  sea  looked  like  furrows  of  polished 
steel.  A  sailor  aloft  spying  a  shark  alongside  gave 
the  information  to  the  deck.  The  shark  moved 
slowly  around  the  vessel,  and  as  he  passed  under 
the  stern,  the  second  mate  threw  the  harpoon  from 
the  taffrail  and  drove  it  right  through  his  body. 
A  vast  amount  of  splashing  ensued,  and  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  a  slip-noose  was  throv/n  over 
his  tail.  This  being  jammed  tight  he  was  drawn  on 
board,  tail  first,  by  the  rope.  His  motions  on  deck 
were  very  violent,  but  a  vigorous  application  of 
handspikes  quieted  him  somewhat,  and  he  was 
drawn  forward  to  the  main  hatch  and  butchered. 
It  seemed  impossible  to  kill  him.  After  his  head 
and  tail  were  cut  off  and  all  his  entrails  extracted, 
the  body  still  thrashed  about  so  as  to  make  the 
Bailors  jump  clear  of  it.  I  took  his  back  bone  for 
a  cane,  the  carpenter  appropriated  the  skin  for  sand 
paper,  and  the  cook  begged  for  a  little  ball  in  his 
head  that  he  could  "sell  to  the  doctors  on  shore 
for  a  quarter,  it  being  fust  rate  for  medicine." 
Many  were  the  theories,  abusive  remarks  and  jokes 
indulged  in  around  this  fallen  enemy  of  the  sailors. 
His  long  life  was  said  to  be  owing  to  the  fact  that 
sharks  never  died  till  sunset.  The  best  joke  was 
Murphy's,  who  had  been  in  the  army,  who  sai«i 


A  rain  squall  in  the  Doldrums. 


J  SHABKS.      ,.  .^1^    1  86 

''  He'd  make  a  good  Northern  soldier,  he's  so  long 
dying,"  The  common  theory,  that  a  breeze  always 
fv)llows  the  killing  of  a  shark,  made  everybody 
more  light-hearted,  and  the  expectation  was  ful- 
iilled  after  awhile. 

That  evening  the  usual  yarn-spinning  went  on 
around  the  booby-hatch,  and  among  the  shark- 
stories  that  were  related  was  the  following  by  the 
mate,  given  in  his  words  as  nearly  as  they  can  be 
remembered.  It  was  intended  especially  for  the 
passenger's  enlightenment,  but  I  overheard  it : 

"  I  once  made  a  voyage  in  the  ship  "Laguna ''  from 
Boston  to  Cadiz  and  back  with  a  cargo  of  salt. 
Coming  home  we  had  a  Cuban  planter  and  his  son, 
a  boy  of  nineteen,  as  passengers.  The  boy  was 
always  whistling,  and  our  mate,  who  was  a  regular 
old  sea-dog,  who  hated  to  hear  whistling,  except  in 
a  calm  when  it  would  hei^^  to  raise  the  wind,  kept 
prophesying  that  the  nightingale,  as  he  called  the 
boy,  would  be  sure  to  bring  some  bad  luck.  One 
day,  when  a  heavy  swell  was  running,  but  the 
wind  had  nearly  died  away,  a  large  shark  came  up 
in  our  wake  and  followed  the  ship.  The  boy  was 
leaning  over  the  taffrail  watching  the  shark,  and 
his  father  was  walking  up  and  down  the  poop  deck 
with  his  pocket-knife  in  his  hand,  whittling  a  stick. 
The  ship  suddenly  gave  a  heavy  pitch  and  the 
boy  lost  his  balance  and  tumbled  overboard.  He 
screamed  as  he  fell,  and  the  father  gave  another 
yell  and  jumped  overboard  after  him.     There  was 


86  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

a  pretty  kettle  of  fish  then.  Tlie  main  yard  was 
throv/n  aback,  though  the  ship  wasn't  making 
much  headway,  and  everything  handy  about  decks 
w^as  tossed  overboard  —  gratings,  life-buoys,  and 
planks.  Most  everybody  threw  something,  and 
tlie  carpenter,  who  was  a  stupid  muff  of  a  fellow, 
wanted  to  do  his  share  towards  the  rescue,  so  he 
picked  up  his  grindstone  and  threw  that  overboard. 
The  passenger^  disappeared  immediately,  and  as 
nothing  could  be  seen  of  them  from  aloft  it  was 
useless  to  get  out  a  boat.  We  filled  away  again 
with  sad  feelings,  and  the  old  mate  said  Nightingale 
might  whistle  the  whole  passage  if  he  would  only 
come  back.  In  a  little  while  the  captain  spied  a 
shark  under  the  stern^  He  got  the  shark-liook 
and  put  a  big  junk  of  salt  pork  on  it,  and  soon  the 
shark  took  hold.  We  slipped  a  running  bowline 
around  his  tail  and  hauled  him  on  deck.  After 
we  had  smashed  his  head  with  handspikes  we  cut 
him  open,  and  there  we  found  the  man,  the  boy 
and  the  grindstone.  The  boy  was  turning  the 
grindstone  and  his  father  was  sharpening  his  knife 
in  order  to  cut  a  hole  in  the  shark  to  get  out  of. 
They  were  greatly  astonished  to  find  themselves 
on  our  deck  again,  and  the  father  said  it  was  little 
short  of  a  miracle."  f^ 

It  is  hard  to  tell  how  a  vessel  ever  escapes  from 
this  doldrum  region;  but  by  using  her  chances, 
constantly  spreading  her  wings  to  every  fitful 
breath  and  gaining  a  little  day  by  day,  she  at  last 


SOUTH-EAST  TRADES. 


87 


strikes  an  air  that  is  not  a  catspaw.  It  gradually 
increases,  and  soon  is  pronounced  to  be  the  S.  E. 
trades.  Such  was  our  lot  when  we  reached  hit. 
3^  N.,  and  the  day  after,  we  sailed  swiftly  across 
llieliue  hi  Ion.  31°  30',  thirty-four  days  out.  Pass- 
i:i;;  to  windward  of  the  Island  of  Fernando  Nor- 
onlui,  we  sped  along  through  the  most  charming 
region  of  the  sea,  that  of  the  south-east  trades  iu 
the  South  Atlantic. 


CHAPTER   II. 


A  SAUOY    SAILOE. 


ONE  night  in  the  Trades,  while  the  mate's 
watch  were  bracing  the  yards,  I  heard  the 
sound  of  angry  voices  on  deck.  The  next  morn- 
ing I  asked  the  mate  if  he  had  any  trouble  with 
any  one  in  the  middle  watch. 

He  replied :  "  I  had  some  words  with  Peterson, 
that's  all,  sir.' 

"  What  was  the  matter  ?  " 

The  mate  answered:  "For  some  time  back 
Peterson  has  been  slack  about  giving  an  answer. 
I  didn't  want  to  check  him  before  the  men,  for  he 
has  become  religious  this  passage,  and  some  of  the 
men  are  down  on  him  about  it.  If  I  growled  at 
him,  the  men  would  have  another  handle  on  him ; 
so,  after  we  got  through  bracing,  I  called  him  one 
side  and  told  him  I  wished  he  would  be  more  par- 

88 


A  SAUCY   8AIL0B.  89 

ticular  about  giving  an  answer.  I  thought  that 
was  treating  him  pretty  kindly  ;  I  never  conde- 
scended to  do  as  much  for  a  sailor  before,  but  he 
got  mad  about  it  and  was  saucy.  I  gave  him  some 
strong  talk,  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  my 
hands  off  him.  .He  says  he  is  going  to  complain 
to  you  about  my  imposing  on  him.  They  say 
foi'ard  he  is  crazy,  and  I  most  thought  so  myself 
last  night.  I  got  excited  and  threatened  to  knock 
him  down  if  he  didn't  shut  up ;  but  all  the  time 
he  talked  religion.  Said  he,  "  You  can  strike  me 
if  you  like  ;  Tve  got  all  over  fighting  now ;  if  you 
liit  me  on  one  cheek  I'll  turn  the  other  to  you." 

Peterson  had  the  wheel  that  forenoon  from 
eiglit  to  ten  o'clock,  and  when  I  went  up  on  the 
poop-deck  lie  said,  "Will  you  allow  me  to  speak  to 
you,  sir."  "  No,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  going  to  speak 
to  you,"  and  I  gave  him  a  sharp  reproof  for  giving 
the  mate  "back  answers."  His  feelings  were 
very  much  hurt.  I  perceived  the  cause  of  his  be- 
liavior  to  be  erroneous  ideas  upon  religious  mat- 
ters. He  had  led  a  wild  life  and  always  sailed  in 
roiigli  ships,  and  at  the  commencement  of  the  voy- 
age he  was  greatly  impressed  by  the  treatment 
adopted,  and  by  the  instructions  given  at  our  Sun* 
day  service.  He  professed  to  have  been  converted 
wlien  a  fortnight  out,  and  had  ever  since  been  very 
zealous  in  exhorting  his  shipmates.  One  remark 
showed  the  whole  trouble.  He  said  to  me,  "  Now 
that  Ave  are  Christian  brethren  we  are  all  equal  and 


40  ON  BOAKD  THE   ROCKET. 

we  ought  to  get  along  easily  together."  He  evi- 
dently  thouglit  this  sentiment  should  level  the 
inequality  of  our  stations,  and  there  should  natur- 
ally follow  a  relaxing  of  discipline,  and  more  famil- 
iar treatment.  Afterwards  I  called  him  below. 
He  dropped  his  cap  outside  the  door,  and  we  sat 
down  at  the  cabin  table.  I  spoke  to  him  about 
our  difference  as  fellow  Christians,  and  as  captain 
and  sailor,  saying,  "If  you  should  insult  me  on 
shore,  I  should  take  no  notice  of  it  wliatever,  but 
if  you  do  so  on  board  of  my  ship,  while  personally 
I  forgive  you,  yet  as  master  of  the  ship  I  am 
obliged  to  resent  it,  for  the  sake  of  discipline. 
Suppose  a  man  struck  me  in  the  street,  to  throw 
contempt  upon  me  as  a  religious  man,  why  then  J 
would  turn  the  other  cheek  to  him  ;  but  if,  when 
I  entered  my  house,  my  boy  should  strike  me  in 
the  face,  I  would  punish  him  for  it,  because  I  con- 
sider it  a  christian  duty  to  rule  my  own  house  well 
and  keep  my  children  in  subjection.  Just  so  on 
board  ship  it  is  my  duty  to  be  faitliful  to  the 
owner's  interests,  and  to  guard  the  trusts  com- 
mitted to  me,  subject  of  course  to  the  spirit  of 
Christ's  teachings.  These  interests  require  that 
there  should  be  good  discipline  in  the  ship,  and 
tlicrefore  the  mate  does  right  to  notice  any  disre- 
spect that  is  shown  him."  s  ^:^|. 
A  day  or  two  after  this,  Peterson  said  to  me  at 
the  wheel,  "  I've  been  thinking  over  what  you  said 
to   me.      I  see  that  I  was  wrong,  and  it  sha'n't 


sailors'   TBEATMEiST.  41 

happen  again."  For  the  remaining  ten  months  of 
the  voyage  no  one  had  a  word  of  complaint  against 
Peterson,  and  his  influence  over  his  shipmates  was 
most  excellent.  ;  .-    ,      ^ 

In  the  evening  after  this  occurrence,  when  the 
mate  came  aft  at  eight  o'clock  to  relieve  the  sec- 
ond officer,  we  began  talking  about  the  affair. 

"  There  is  one  thing,"  said  the  mate,  "  that  I 
haven't  quite  settled  yet,  and  that  is  whether  you 
can  treat  sailors  well  or  not.  At  any  rate,  if  a 
man  is  a  Christian  he  had  better  not  go  on  board 
of  a  ship  as  officer.  I  feel  so  mad  sometimes  I'd 
like  to  slaughter  the  whole  watch."  - ;  • 

I  replied,  "  It's  a  matter  that  I  settled  a  long 
time  ago.  You  cannot  treat  a  sailor  well  without 
his  taking  some  advantage  of  it.  Inferiors  will 
presume  upon  a  kind  disposition  in  their  superiors, 
all  the  world  over.  It  is  human  nature.  I  made 
up  my  mind  to  that  in  the  very  beginning.  But 
I  there  is  another  question.  Is  it  best  to  treat 
sailors  well,  all  things  considered  ?  As  a  matter 
of  principle  there  can  of  course  be  but  one 
answer:  —  Christ's  teachings  entirely  settle  that. 
A  divine  precept  must  be  of  universal  application  ; 
there  can  be  no  exceptions,  and  if  sea  life  were 
proved  to  be  a  sphere  where  Christ's  commands 
could  not  be  obeyed,  it  would  also  be  condemned 
as  an  occupation  no  one  could  follow  guiltlessly. 
As  a  question  of  policy  there  seem  to  be  different 
opinions,  though  whatever  is  good  principle  must 


42  ON  BOAKD  THE  liOCKET. 

be  good  policy.  I  say  most  decidedly  it  is  best ; 
best  for  the  ship,  for  the  owners,  for  the  officers, 
and  of  course  best  for  the  men  themselves.  It  is 
very  poor  policy  to  make  sailors  the  enemies  of 
the  ship.  How  many  vessels  have  been  set  fire  to 
by  an  enraged  crew !  How  many  spars  and  sails 
have  been  lost,  because,  just  out  of  spite,  a  sailor 
neglected  to  report  the  first  stage  of  an  accident 
A\  liich  he  alone  observed  in  a  dark  night !  How 
many  ships  have  remained  in  port  for  weeks  after 
they  were  loaded,  because  they  had  so  bad  a  repu- 
tation no  one  would  go  in  them,  and  they  only 
sail  at  last  with  a  kidnapped  crew !  How  much 
running  gear  has  been  cut,  and  how  many  sails 
ripped  with  sheath  knives  on  the  night  of  arrival 
at  the  port  of  destination,  by  men  thus  taking 
revenge  for  harsh  usage  !  How  many  refusals  of 
duty,  mutinies,  murders,  and  lawsuits  have  their 
beginning  in  a  foul  word  or  blow  !  Just  sum 
these  up  and  look  at  the  other  side.  I  am  no 
apologist  for  those  who  let  sailors  do  as  they  like. 
The  results  of  inefficiency  do  not  belong  to  our 
side  of  the  account.  But  take  this  vei:^sel  for  an 
example.  We  are  not  treated  with  the  strict  def- 
erence the  sailor  gives  to  a  severe  ruler,  but  we 
secure  his  enduring  respect  and  a  good  name  on 
shore.  We  hear  more  growling  about  '  grub,'  for 
if  the  cook  doesn't  make 'bread  scouse '  to  suit 
them,  the  men  are  not  afraid  to  come  aft  to  the 
cabin  to  complain  about  it.    In  ordinary  work  we 


sailors'  treatment.  43 

have  not  quite  so  much  drive  and  smartness,  but 
all  important  duties  are  done  as  well  if  not  better. 
I  think  of  no  other  disadvantages,  and  all  tliat 
can  be  said  of  what  I  have  named  is,  that  our  dis- 
cipline is  not  as  rigid  as  that  of  ships  where  men 
;i re  abused;  but  no  one  can  deny  that  we  have 
^M)od  discipline.  As  to  your  remark  about  Chris- 
tian ofiBcers^  I  must  say  I  think  it  a  very  cowardly 
speech.  If  shipboard  is  a  place  of  trial  it  is  just 
the  place  for  a  Christian,  for  who  has  such  re- 
sources as  he?  " 

The  mate  took  exception  to  one  part  of  my 
admissions  and  paid  me  the  compliment  of  say- 
ing, "  I  never  sailed  with  a  captain  that  received 
as  much  respect  from  sailors  as  you  do.  I  notice 
whenever  you  come  for'ard  how  the  men  straighten 
themselves  up  to  their  work,  and  the  respectful 
manner  in  which  they  step  out  of  your  way." 

One  moonlight  evening,  when  the  trade-wind 
was  driving  us  briskly  along,  we  were  sitting  in 
our  easy  chairs  on  deck  enjoying  the,  romance  of 
the  sea,  and  the  passenger  asked  me,  if  sailors 
always  behaved  well  when  they  were  well  treated. 
In  answer  I  told  him  the  story  of 

AN  EASY  SHIP. 

When  a  lad  of  nineteen  years,  in  company  with 
a  friend  of  my  own  age,  I  made  a  voyage  from 
Boston  to  Cronstadt  and  back  to  New  York  aa 
passenger  in  the  ship  "  Volant."  She  was  a  fuU-built 
vessel  of  about  six  hundred  tons  register  and  car- 


44  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

ried  a  crew  of  fourteen  before  the  mast.  The 
captain  was  a  Swede  named  Nelson,  a  good  nat- 
urpd,  worthy  man.  Mr.  Smith,  the  first  mate,  was 
an  Englishman,  a  man  with  a  very  kind  lieart  and 
easy  disposition.  The  second  mate,  Mr.  Kumj), 
was  an  old  sea  dog,  hailing  from  New  Hampshire. 
He  was  a  hard  drinker  when  on  shore  and  appeared 
to  be  wholly  destitute  of  ambition.  His  sea  char- 
acter depended  entirely  on  that  of  his  superiors. 
If  they  were  severe  he  could  be  as  great  a  tyrant 
as  any  one,  and  if  they  were  inclined  to  take  their 
ease  he  could  be  as  quiet  and  unconcerned  as 
though  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  ship.  Of 
the  sailors,  five  were  Irish,  three  were  "Dutch- 
men," two  English,  two  American  and  two  from 
Nova  Scotia.  They  were  of  rather  a  low  grade, 
but  Avere  for  the  most  part  a  well  disposed  set  of 
men,  though  half  of  them  were  very  deficient  in 
seamanship.  For  the  first  week  of  the  passage 
they  seemed  very  peacable,  with  the  exception  of 
one  man  who  called  himself  "  Brock,"  and  was 
one  of  the  vilest  sort  of  "  Liverpool  Packet  Rats." 
He  was  always  grumbling  and  cursing,  no  sailor, 
and  a  miserable  shirk.  His  talk,  by  degrees,  affected 
the  others,  the  poison  gradually  spread  and  the 
rest  of  the  crew  became  surly  and  discontented,  — 
ready  to  join  in  with  whatever  "growl"  Brock 
might  start.  It  was  hard  to  see  what  they  could 
find  fault  with,  for  there  was  scarcely  ever  a 
"hurrah"  or  "bear  a  hand  "  uttered  by  the  officers ; 


AN  EASY  SHIP.  45 

the  men  took  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  to  "  turn 
out,"  and  the  mate  had  been  forward  the  second 
night  after  leaving  Boston,  and  had  told  the  watch 
on  deck  that  there  was  no  need  of  more  than  one 
remaining  on  deck,  and  the  rest  might  lie  down  on 
their  chests  in  the  forecastle  and  be  ready  for  a 
call.  The  result  was  that  the  men  usually  stayed 
in  their  bunks  all  night. 

The  captain  hardly  ever  opened  his  mouth  in 
hearing  of  the  crew.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  he  got  out  of  his  berth  and  came  to  the 
breakfast  table.  After  winding  his  chronometer 
and  taking  the  usual  observation  for  longitude,  he 
lighted  his  pipe  and  sat  down  to  read  the  New 
York  Herald^  of  which  he  had  a  large  pile  on  the 
riglit  hand  side  of  his  chair,  and  the  voyage  was 
principally  devoted  to  building  a  pile  on  his  left 
hand  with  the  papers  that  had  been  read.  The 
observation  for  latitude  was  taken  at  noon,  then 
followed  dinner,  a  smoke  and  a  nap  till  about  half- 
past  four,  and  then  came  another  smoke  and  sup- 
per. The  evening  was  cliiefly  devoted  to  his  pipe 
and  the  favorite  newspaper,  and  if  the  weather 
was  unsettled  he  sometimes  appeared  on  deck  once 
or  twice  in  the  night.  It  was  seldom  this  routine 
was  disturbed  by  anything  more  serious  than  an 
attack  on  him  by  his  young  passengers  with  box- 
ing gloves  or  fencing  foils. 

When  half  way  across  the  Atlantic  the  captain 
went  on  deck  one  evening  to  take  a  look  at  tha 


46  ON  BOARD  THE  TwOCKET. 

weather  before  "  turning  in."  Casting  his  eye  to 
windward  he  saw  that  a  heavy  sqnall  was  about  to 
strike  the  ship,  and  looking  around  for  the  second 
mate,  he  discovered  that  wortliy  fast  asleep  on  the 
after  bitts  wholly  unconscious  of  the  two  squalls 
that  threatened  him.  The  captain  showed  the  pos- 
session of  some  temper  by  catching  the  sleeping 
officer  by  the  neck  and  sending  him  sprawling  to 
the  deck.  "  You  good-for-nothing,"  said  he,  "  I 
didn't  think  an  old  sailor  like  you  would  serve  me 
such  a  trick.  Call  all  hands  to  shorten  sail ! " 
The  second  mate  picked  himself  up  and  got  to  the 
forecastle  as  quickly  as  his  confused  senses  would 
allow  him,  and  called  to  the  men  to  "  tumble  out " 
as  quickly  as  possible.  His  own  watcli  were  in 
there  as  well  as  the  watch  below,  and  all  were 
soundlj'-  asleep.  They  had  got  so  accustomed  to 
slow  movements  that  even  a  squall  would  not 
hurry  them  much,  but  a  few  got  out  on  deck  and 
had  just  let  go  the  topgallant  halyards  and  hauled 
down  the  flying-jib,  when  the  squall  struck  the 
ship  and  laid  her  almost  on  her  beam-ends,  for  she 
had  a  cargo  of  cotton  and  was  very  crank.  The 
topsail  halyards  were  then  let  go,  the  spanker  low- 
ered and  the  ship  was  got  off  before  the  wind. 
The  rain  poured  in  torrents  and  the  work  of  short- 
ening sail  was  certainly  not  very  agreeable. 
Through  all  the  work  Brock's  voice  could  be 
heard  swearing  and  grumbling, — '"-If  any  ono 
ever  asks  me  to  go  another  Russian  voyage,"  s;il<l 


AN   EASY  SHIP.  47 


he,  "  if  I've  got  money  enough  to  buy  an  old  rusty 
pistol  I'll  shoot  him."  Several  of  the  sails  were 
split  and  two  hours  of  the  passage  were  lost  by 
the  second  mate's  nap.  The  captain  tliought  best 
to  keep  a  stricter  eye  on  him  after  this  and  ordered 
that  tlie  watch  on  deck  should  keep  out  of  the 
forecastle.  For  a  few  days  they  did  so,  but  one 
by  one  they  tried  the  experiment  of  going  in  there, 
and  finding  it  created  no  uproar,  they  soon  got 
back  to  old  habits. 

When  four  weeks  out  we  passed  the  Orkney 
Islands  and  the  same  afternoon  sighted  Fair  Island 
off  the  port  bow.  We  passed  within  five  miles  of 
the  Island,  and  two  boats  with  six  men  in  each 
pulled  off  to  meet  us.  The  men  were  small  and 
thin  and  with  only  one  exception  had  light  com- 
plexions and  sandy  hair  and  beards.  The^  ?ame 
on  board  and  begged,  in  whining  tones,  to  be 
allowed  to  exchange  their  fish  for  bread  and  salt 
meat.  After  a  trade,  made  very  much  in  their 
favor,  they  produced  woollen  mittens  and  socks, 
knitted  by  the  women  of  the  island,  and  made 
another  trade.  These  being  exhausted  they  pro- 
ceeded to  beg,  with  a  stock  of  appeals  to  charitable 
motives.  When  all  the  clothes  had  been  obtained 
that  seemed  likely  to  be  forthcoming,  they  asked 
for  ''  rel-ee-gious  books  and  tracts."  Two  days 
after  this  we  made  the  Coast  of  Norway.  Then 
beating  against  a  head  wind  for  two  days  more  we 
got  through  the   Skager    Rack,  passed  the  Scaw 


48  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET, 

of  Denmark,  and  steered  through   the  Cattegat 
towards  Elsinore. 

The  cook  of  the  ship  was  a  negro  —  a  lazy,  dirty 
fellow  he  was !  Neither  the  captain  nor  the  officers 
paid  any  attention  to  the  state  of  things  in  the 
galley,  except  that  the  "  old  man  "  gave  an  occa- 
sional admonition  to  be  economical,  and  "  Cuffey  " 
lived  in  ease  and  slovenliness.  The  "grub"  was 
poorly  cooked,  and  scanty  at  that ;  and  the  tea 
was  so  weak  that  when  one  night  "  Doctor,"  as  the 
cook  is  always  called,  forgot  to  pnt  any  tea  into 
the  coppers,  the  men  drank  the  warm  water  and 
molasses  without  any  idea  of  the  omission.  A 
barrel  of  beef  was  intended  to  last  twelve  days  at 
least,  but  owing  to  the  gifts  to  the  Fair  Islanders 
the  barrel  at  this  time  was  about  exhausted  on  the 
tenth  day.  The  cook  thought  he  could  eke  it  out 
one  day  longer,  and  the  consequence  was  that  in 
the  evening,  "  Bill,"  a  short,  stout  Nova  Scotian, 
with  a  very  lugubrious  countenance,  marched  aft 
carrying  a  large  tin  pan,  containing  a  very  small 
piece  of  boiled  salt  beef.  The  mate  was  stand- 
ing by  the  weather-rail,  just  forward  of  the  poop. 
Bill  deposited  the  pan  at  his  feet.  Folding  his 
arms  he  exclaimed  in  a  very  meek  and  mournful 
tone,  "Mr.  Smith,  I  wish  you'd  take  a  belaying 
pin  and  beat  my  brains  out."  ' 

"What  good   would  that  do  you?"  said  the 

mate.  '  -■•  :--v;V-':v-:.r;.  .--■:,. 


AN  EASY  SHIP.  49 

**  rJ  rather  die  at  once  than  starve  to  death," 
the  sailor  answered. 

"Who's  going  to  starve  you  to  death?" 

'^  We  don't  get  food  enough  for  a  dog,  let  alone 
a  man,"  said  Bill. 

The  mate  then  endeavored  to  prove  that  Bill 
was  not  a  man;  the  main  point  of  his  argument 
being  that  a  few  days  before  he  had  "  made  a  splice 
in  the  foretopmost  studding-sail  tripping-line  that 
would  be  a  disgrace  to  a  loblolly  boy."  This 
argument  went  on  for  a  while,  till  the  man  became 
convinced  that  the  mate  was  neither  disposed  to 
accept  his  polite  invitation  as  to  the  disposition  of 
his  brains,  nor  to  furnish  any  more  beef  that  even- 
ing. So  he  thought  it  best  to  be  contented  with 
the  promise  of  a  hirger  allowance  in  the  morning, 
and  make  use  of  the  small  supply  at  hand. 

The  cook  was  sulky  because  the  men  had  com- 
plained about  him,  and  the  next  evening  he  made 
the  tea  with  salt  water.  This  imposition  was  more 
than  they  could  swallow,  and  brought  about  an- 
other complaint,  in  consequence  of  which  the  cap- 
tain summoned  the  "  Doctor "  aft,  and  in  a  great 
rage  stuttered  out  a  string  of  phrases,  the  burden 
of  which  seemed  to  be,  "I  —  I'll  swab  the  decks 
with  you." 

We  had  a  good  passage  up  the  Baltic  and  Gulf 
of  Finland,  and  got  to  our  moorings  in  Cronstadt 
Mole,  where  we  discharged  our  cotton  and  loaded 
a  cargo  of  sheet-iron,  hemp,  cordage  and  crash. 


60  ON  BOAED  THE  P.OCKET. 

One  of  the  meu  was  taken  ill  with  cholera  and 
died  in  the  hospital,  and  a  good  deal  of  discussion 
took  place  among  the  crew  as  to  whether  liis  i)lace 
would  be  filled.  Great  efforts  were  made  to  dcs- 
patcli  the  vessel  by  September  20th,  as  after  that 
day  the  premium  of  insurance  on  vessel  and  cargo 
would  advance  one  per  cent.,  owing  to  the  increased 
dangers  of  navigation  later  in  the  season,  making  a 
difference  of  one  thousand  dollars  to  the  owners. 
On  the  morning  of  the  twentieth  the  last  of  the 
cargo  was  put  on  board.  The  captain  went  on 
shore  to  obtain  his  clearance  papers,  leaving  word 
with  the  mate  to  be  all  ready  to  haul  out  of  the 
Mole  at  noon.  Upon  his  return  he  found  the  ship 
fast  at  her  moorings,  with  no  signs  of  any  intention 
to  move.  Coming  over  the  gangway  in  a  rage  he 
was  met  by  the  mate,  who  prevented  the  explosion 
that  was  about  to  take  place  by  informing  him  that 
the  men  had  refused  duty.  ^ 

"  Refused  duty  1 "  said  the  captain ;  "  what  can 
that  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  they  say  they  won't  go  to  sea  unless 
you  ship  a  man  in  the  place  of  the  one  that  died." 

"  But  I  can't  now,"  said  he ;  "  the  ship  must  go 
right  to  sea,  and  no  one  would  go  on  such  a  short 

iiolice."    ■'    ■■■:v."-v-.^     ■'  ■■;...■■■■-•   .-'-:-■:■'■■.---. 

"  Fve  told  them  that,  sir,  but  that  villain,  Brock, 
has  made  the  rest  ugly." 

Capt.  Nelson  returned  on  shore  and  spent  half 
an  hour  in  a  vain  attempt  to  find  a  sailor  who 


AN   EASY  SHIP.  61 

would  go  immecliiitely  to  sea.  Returning  on  board 
he  asked  me  to  go  into  the  forecastle  and  try  to 
persuade  the  men  to  turn  to.  I  did  what  I  could, 
but  of  course  a  boy's  talk  was  not  much  heeded, 
and  I  got  rather  scared  myself  by  their  curses  and 
tlueats.  Then  the  mate  came  to  the  door  and 
asked  in  a  shaky  voice,  "  Are  you  going  to  turn 

to?" 

"When  that  man  comes  aboard,"  was  Hrock's 
defiant  answer.  . 

Mr.  Smith  hastened  back  to  report  that  they 
still  refused  duty,  and  the  captain  hailed  a  passing 
bout  and  procured  some  Russians  from  the  "  Cap- 
tain of  the  '  Bran  vault,' "  as  the  harbor-master  is 
called.  With  their  assistance  the  ship  was  hauled 
to  the  Mole-head,  and  gave  her  hawser  to  the  tow- 
boat  that  was  waiting  outside.  Then  the  Russians 
stepped  ashore,  I  took  the  wheel,  the  mates  cast 
off  the  lines,  and  we  proceeded  in  tow  of  the 
steamer.      ,  .  .  - 

When  fairly  off,  the  captain  told  the  mate  to 
call  all  hands  aft.  Standing  by  the  cabin  door  he 
made  an  address  to  them,  offering  to  divide  among 
them  the  wages  that  would  have  come  to  the  dead 
sailor,  had  he  lived  to  complete  the  voyage. 

Some  of  the  men  were  inclined  to  give  in,  but 
Brock  muttered,  "We  don't  want  a  dead  man's 

wages."  ■..:•. ;.,..- ---\.v-;;..  ,:::::.■:-     "    ^-r      ..  ■'■  .-.^^f:-';: 

*'  Well,"  said  the  captain,  "  I'll  give  you  what 


52  ON   BOAltD  THifi  KOCIUST. 


I  ahould  have  paid  another  man  if  I  had  sliippcd 


one." 


"  Oh,  we've  been  humbugged  that  way  before, 
(yap'n,"  said  Brock,  who  turned  and  went  forward, 
i'oJ lowed  by  the  rest  of  the  crew,  leaving  the  cap- 
lain  in  the  midst  of  another  conciliatory  haraijguc. 

The  ship  was  soon  abreast  of  ToUbaken,  ten 
miles  from  Cronstadt.  The  wind  was  dead  ahead  ; 
and  having  nominally  sailed,  the  captain  decided  to 
come  to  anchor  and  wait  for  the  wind  and  crew  to 
favor  him. 

The  mate  asked  the  men  if  they  would  turn  to 
and  let  go  the  anchor;  and  thinking  they  would 
thus  gain  their  point,  and  also  their  dinner,  they 
consented.  The  steamer  was  cast  off  and  the  ship 
brought  to  anchor. 

The  crew  were  then  allowed  to  get  their  dinner, 
but  when  called  on  to  work,  they  again  refused. 
The  captain  was  greatly  troubled,  and  so  much  at 
a  loss  what  to  do,  that  he  appealed  to  me  for  advice. 
I  felt  rather  flattered  by  his  consideration,  and 
suggested  that  he  should  put  the  men  in  irons. 
He  was  afraid  to  try  that,  so  I  proposed  that  he 
should  give  them  nothing,  to  eat  till  they  resumed 
duty.  When  supper-time  came  they  went  to  the 
galley,  and  being  refused.  Brock  marched  aft  with 
his  tin  pot  in  hand,  and  with  the  coolest  impudence, 
asked  the  captain  if  they  were  not  to  be  allowed 
any  supper.  *^,;.^  ^^^^^  '  '' 

"  Not  till  you  turn  to,"  was  the  reply. 


AN  EASY  SHIP.  63 


The  mail  then  put  on  an  air  of  injured  innocence 
iuid  declared  it  was  a  shame  to  try  to  starve  inrsi 
to  death.  But  he  sauntered  forward,  and  the  nun 
turned  in,  hiughing  at  the  way  they  had  "waxed 
the  old  man,!'  but  feeling  a  little  concerned  on  the 
L^core  of  eating. 

At  nine  o'clo  <k  in  the  evening,  the  wind  Iiauled 
fiiir.  The  captain  went  to  the  forecastle,  and  after 
fifteen  minutes  spent  in  argument  upon  the  pro- 
priety of  their  going  to  work,  the  promise  of  some 
tea,  and  other  fair  words,  prevailed  upon  the  men 
to  get  the  ship  under  way,  and  the  passage  was 
i'tiirly  begun. 

W'e  passed  through  the  Baltic  and  by  Elsinore 
without  any  remarkable  occurrence,  except  the 
increased  independence  and  insolence  of  the  crew. 
They  felt  that  the  Cronstadt  disturbance  had 
proved  there  was  no  fight  in  the  officers,  and  some 
of  the  crew  showed  more  zeal  in  taking  their  com- 
fort than  in  obeying  orders. 

Brock  particularly  distinguished  himself.  He 
boasted  in  the  forecastle  that  he  was  going  to  try 
to  induce  an  officer  to  strike  him,  in  order  that  he 
might  raise  some  money  by  a  lawsuit  on  arriving 
in  New  York.  One  day  the  ship  was  running 
before  a  strong  breeze,  under  the  main-topgallant- 
sail.  Brock  was  at  the  wheel,  and,  being  a  misera- 
ble helmsman,  was  letting  the  ship  yaw  about  two 
points  each  side  of  her  course.  ;;■ 

"Keep  her  straight,"  said  the  captain.    -    ^^ 


64  ON   BOARD  TILE   ROCKET. 

**I  should  like  to  see  any  one  keep  her  any 
straighter,*"  was  Brock's  answer;  and  upon  this 
tlie  captain  took  hold  of  the  wheel  to  prove  tluit  it 
coui/"  be  done.  Instead  of  stopping  to  witness  the 
proof,  Brock  started  forward. 

*'  Come  back  here  !  "    shouted  the  captain. 

"  One's  enough  to  steer  the  ship,"  was  the  polite 
answer,  and  the  fellow  made  for  the  forecastle, 
leaving  the  captain  working  the  wheel,  unable  to 
leave  it  until  relieved.  The  mate,  finding  out  the 
trouble,  went  to  the  forecastle  and  saw  Brock 
leisurely  lighting  his  pipe. 

''  Go  aft  and  take  the  wheel  again  !  What  busi- 
ness have  you  got  here  ?  " 

"Don't  you  fret;  111  come  out  when  I  get 
ready,"  said  Brock.  The  mate  turned  away  and 
sent  another  sailor  to  relieve  the  captain.  After 
Brock  had  finished  his  smoke,  he  appeared  again  on 
deck,  and  politely  asked  Mr.  Smith  if  he  had  a  job 
for  him.  The  mate  gave  him  a  few  of  his  opinions 
about  his  behavior,  and  set  him  at  work  aloft. 

Tliat  night,  in  the  first  watch,  I  was  keeping  the 
mate  company  on  deck,  and  hearing  Mr.  Smith's 
complaints  about  Brock.  "Wh}^  don't  you  knock 
him  down?"  said  I.  "That's  the  only  kind  of 
treatment  such  a  man  can  understand." 

"I'll  tell  you  why  I  don't,"  said  the  mulo. 
"About  five  years  ago  I  was  mate  of  the  ship 
"Neptune  "  in  the  Liverpool  trade.  We  hove  up  our 
anchor  in  the  River  Mersey  and  were  being  towed 


AN  EASY  SHIP.  66 

out  to  sea.  I  was  anxious  to  get  the  anchor  catted 
as  soon  as  possible,  as  the  pilot  wanted  sail  made  on 
the  ship,  and  1  had  all  the  crew  on  the  forecastle, 
heaving  on  the  capstan.  An  ugly-looking  Liver- 
pool Irishman,  called  Jim  Kelley,  was  holding  the 
turn,  and  just  as  the  anchor  was  about  up  to  the 
cat-head  he  let  go  the  rope ;  it  flew  around  the 
capstan  at  a  lively  rate,  and  the  anchor  went  down. 
I  growled  at  him  for  it,  and  he  said  it  slipped 
away  from  him.  We  went  at  it  again,  and  had 
the  anchor  half-way  up,  when  Kellc}^  surged  the 
fall  and  let  it  go  again.  It  was  raining  at  the 
time,  and  things  were  very  slippery,  and  he  pleaded 
that  as  his  excuse ;  but  I  thought  I  saw  mischief  in 
his  eye.  The  end  of  the  fall  had  hit  two  of  tho 
men  j)retty  severe  blows,  as  it  flew  around  tlie 
capstan.  I  was  pretty  mad  by  this  time,  and  told 
him  if  he  did  that  again  I'd  knock  his  head  off.  I 
thouglit  he'd  hold  on  the  next  time,  but  just  as  I 
was  going  to  say,  *'  Heave  a  pawl ! "  down  went  the 
anchor  for  the  third  time.  I  heard  the  pilot  rattling 
off  a  string  of  oaths  as  long  as  the  maintop-bowline, 
and  I  stepped  up  to  Kelley  and  gave  him  a  touch 
of  my  fist  that  sent  him  head  first  off  the  topgallant 
forecastle  on  to  a  pile  of  chain  cable.  He  didn't 
feel  like  holding  any  more  turns  for  a  day  or  two, 
you  may  bet,  and  the  rest  of  the  crew  said  it  served 
him  right.  But  when  we  got  into  New  York  I 
was  hauled  up  in  court  for  it,  and  had  to  pay  fifty 
dollars  fine.    Now  I've  got  a  wife  and  five  childreiii 


66  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

and  as  good-looking  ones  as  you'd  wish  to  see  they 
are,  too,  though  I  say  it,  and  my  wages  a~3  all 
they  have  to  support  them.  That  viUain  Brock,  is 
a  good  deal  of  a  sea-lawyer,  and  if  I  lay  my  hand 
on  him,  it's  only  taking  the  bread  out  of  my  little 
ones'  mouths  and  giving  him  rum  money.  I  made 
a  vow  after  that  time  that  I'd  never  strike  a  man 
again." 

"But  what  can  you  do,"  said  I ;  "you  ought  to 
keep  good  discipline.  Hasn't  the  captain  got  any 
legal  power  to  punish  ugly  sailors  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Smith,  "  the  captain  has  power, 
but  he  doesn't  want  to  be  troubled,  and  it's  con- 
sidered the  mate's  place  to  keep  the  men  straight. 
Once  I  went  to  a  captain  and  reported  an  impudent 
sailor,  and  the  only  satisfaction  I  got  was,  "  What 
did  you  come  here  for  if  you  can't  take  care  of  the 
crew,"  and  I  got  turned  out  of  the  ship  at  the  end 
of  the  voyage.  I  made  a  vow  then  that  I'd  never 
complain  to  the  old  man  again ;  so  between  my 
two  vows  I  don't  see  that  I've  got  much  chance 
with  a  sailor  that's  bent  on  making  a  row.  If  this 
ai'n't  a  dog's  life,  I'd  like  to  know  what  it  is." 

All  the  way  across  the  Atlantic  the  sailors  niay 
be  said  to  have  had  charge  of  the  ship,  and  did 
about  as  tht.y  pleased.  Brock's  insolence  was  be- 
yond all  bounds,  and  it  seemed  incredible  that  it 
should  be  submitted  to  by  the  captain  and  officers. 
He  was  evidently  in  a  desperate  mood  to  get 
struck,  and  one  evening  at  eight  o'cLjck,  when  the 


AN  EASY  SHIP.  67 

captain  kept  his  watch  up  a  few  mhiutes  to  take  in 
the  topgallantsails,  as  a  stormy  night  was  coming 
oil,  Brock  steppe*d  up  to  him  and  said,  "Cap'n,  it's 
too  late  for  you  to  try  and  humbug  us  now.  It's 
our  watch  below."  The  captain  sputtered  some 
bad  words  at  him,  and  told  him  he  was  no  sailor: 
but  the  hoped-for  blow  was  not  given. 

The  passage  ended  at  last,  and  New  York  was 
reached,  none  too  soon  for  all  on  board.,  The  day 
after  arrival,  the  crew  came  to  the  ship  to  be  paid 
off,  and  Brock  called  the  mate  aside  and  made  this 
startling  speech:  "Mr.  Smith,  I  want  to  beg  your 
pardon  for  the  way  I  behaved  on  this  voyage. 
You're  the  kindest  man  ever  I  sailed  with,  and  I 
know  I  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  myself.  I  can 
show  you  the  marks  on  my  head  where  the  last 
mate  I  was  with  split  it  open  with  a  bela^'ing  pin, 
and  I  deserved  it  too.  You'd  have  done  right  if 
you  had  served  me  the  same  way.  What  would 
my  good  old  mother  have  said  if  she  had  known 
what  a  wretch  I  have  been!  She  used  to  pray 
with  me,  and  beg  me  to  be  a  good  man.  Now 
that  she's  dead,  her  words  sometimes  haunt  me, 
and  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  I'll  be  a  differ- 
ent man  for  the  rest  of  my  life."  A  tear  stood  in 
his  eye,  and  good  Mr.  Smith  took  his  hand  and 
said,  '^I  don't  bear  j^ou  no  ill-will.  Brock.  I  don't 
harbor  malice  towards  nobody  living.  If  a  man 
should  cut  my  throat,  I  believe  I'd  forgive  him  the 
next  minute."     Aj^  he  turned  away,  he  caught  a 


58  ON  BOAKD  TUE  UOCKET. 

whiff  of  Brock's  breath,  and  the  suspicion  came 
sadly  to  his  mind  that  this  repentance  was  not  so 
much  the  result  of  piety  as  of  whiskey. 

This  story  reminds  me  of  a  little  incident  that 
occurred  in  Bombay  when  1  was  mate  of  the  "  Lizzie 
Oakford."  There  were  two  English  ships  anchored, 
one  on  each  side  of  us.  It  was  a  calm  morning, 
and  we  could  hear  some  of  the  words  spoken  om 
board  these  vessels.  A  little  after  breakfast  our 
attention  was  attracted  to  the  ship  on  the  port 
side,  by  the  sound  of  angry  voices.  The  captain 
was  having  an  altercation  with  some  of  his  crew, 
and  ver}^  soon  passed  from  words  to  blows.  Ho 
"ended"  four  or  five  of  them  over,  and  with  every 
stroke  of  his  fist  we  could  hear  him  swear  about 
the  Act  of  Parliament.  In  the  course  of  half  an 
hour  we  heard  a  row  on  board  the  ship  on  the 
starboard  side,  and  looking  towards  her  we  saw  a 
number  of  her  crew  on  the  poop-deck.  One  of  the 
sailors  had  seized  hold  of  the  mate's  coat-tail,  and 
was  whirling  him  around  in  a  circle,  while  another, 
with  a  folded  strip  of  canvas.,  belabored  his  back 
every  time  he  flew  past.  Our  second  mate  was  so 
indignant  at  this  insult  to  his  cloth  that  he  wanted 
to  board  the  vessel  and  fight  the  sailors  on  his  own 
account,  but  he  said  he  should  want  to  "lick  the 
mate  too."  "There,"  said  he,  "are  the  two  ex- 
tremes, and  we  are  tlie  middle.  In  one  ship  the 
officers  abuse  the  sailors,  and  in  tli«  other  the 
bailors  abuse  the  officers.     Here  there  hasn't  becu 


BRAVE  WESTERLIES.  59 


mucli  of  either  yet  awliile,  though  I  think  the  old 
shell-backs  have  got  a  little  the  best  of  it." 

We  ran  down  the  trades,  and  keeping  well  to 
the  southward  in  oider  to  catch  the  "  brave  wester- 
lies" as  soon  as  possible,  we  came  in  sight  of 
Tristan  d'Acunha,  a  noble,  symmetrical  mountain 
island,  8,326  feet  high,  its  top  covered  with  snow. 
We  were  becalmed  in  sight  of  it  for  several  hours,  , 
and  enjoyed  resting  our  eyes,  wearied  with  gazing 
for  weeks  upon  the  dancing  water,  by  fixing  them 
on  this  grand,  immovable  mass.  Books  gave  an 
interesting  account  of  a  colony  formed  here ;  but 
we  were  not  near  enough  to  perceive  any  signs  of 
human  life.  The  lazy  rolling  of  the  bark  in  the 
swell,  made  even  the  idea  of  a  residence  on  the 
snowy  peak  seem  attractive,  and  there  was  comfort 
in  thinking  of  a  future  world  which  is  to  be  all 
land. 

A  breeze,  springing  up  from  the  north-east, 
gradually  freshened.  The  sea  being  quite  smoothed 
down  by  the  calm,  we  were  able  to  carry  a  press  of 
canvas;  and  with  all  sail  set  and  the  yards  braced 
up,  the  bark  lay  down  on  her  side,  and  made  a  run 
of  261  miles  in  24  hours,  and  the  day  after,  she 
made  252  miles.  The  fore  topgallantmast  was  then 
found  to  be  sprung,  and  a  new  one  had  to  be  put 
in  its  place.  While  sending  it  up,  we  overtook 
and  passed  a  brig,  loafing  along  under  reefed  top- 
Sciils,  evidently  seeming  to  think  it  was  blowing  a 
gale  of  wind,  whereas  we  had  our  main-royal  set. 


60  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

This  showed  why  some  vessels  make  long  passages. 
We  sped  along  swiftly,  passing  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  when  61  days  out,  and  running  along  cne 
parallel  of  40°  S.,  a  succession  of  gales  helped  us 
onward.  The  weather  was  chilly,  often  wet  and 
disagreeable,  but  our  good  progress  kept  us  cheer- 
ful. One  night  was  especially  exhilarating,  when 
running  in  a  north-west  gale,  witli  the  wind  quar- 
tering, under  reefed  canvas,  the  bark  flying  awaj% 
at  the  rate  of  14  knots,  from  wind,  rain,  thunder, 
lightning  and  towering  waves.  There  is  some 
sublimity  in  a  sailor's  life,  and  this  wild  scene  was 
a  good  specimen  of  it.  I  enjoyed  standing  by  the 
bitts  and  singing  at  the  top  of  my  voice  some 
hymns  expressing  trust  in  the  Creator,  knowing 
that  the  noise  of  the  elements  made  the  sound 
inaudible  to  the  crew.  As  we  neared  Amsterdam 
Island,  the  weather  continued  rainy,  and  there  was 
no  chance  for  observations  by  which  to  verify  our 
position.  On  the  day  I  expected  to  pass  it,  the 
sun  appeared,  most  providentially,  just  at  noon  for 
a  moment.  I  caught  the  altitude  with  my  sextant 
and  found  the  latitude.  But  I  had  no  means  of 
determining  the  longitude.  We  were  a  few  miles 
south  of  the  latitude  of  the  island,  so  I  steered  due 
east,  keeping  a  hand  on  the  lookout  to  watch  for 
the  land,  as  I  desired  to  sight  it  to  verify  the 
reckoning  and  the  chronometers.  No  land  ap 
peared;  a  dark  night  was  coming  on,  and  I  felt 
anxious  at  running  down  so  nearly  in  the  latitude 


SEA  BIRDS.  61 

\    ■  .  .  ...  .   ,  :,.    ■        , 

-*»  <    ■'       -     ■ 

''-  ,' 

-  --       ■      ^^"■-  ■-■  "■■'■"   ~"    "'""  '""^   ""'■".    .  "* ' 

of  the  island ;  but  at  evening-time  it  was  light,  and 
at  6,  P.M.,  we  saw  the  noble  mass  of  land,  nearly 
three  thousand  feet  high,  bearing  off  the  weather- 
quarter.  We  had  already  sailed  by  it,  within  five 
miles  distance. 

One  feature  of  great  interest  in  these  latitudes 
is  the  presence  of  sea-birds.  The  noble  Albatross, 
the  king  of  sea-birds,  is  almost  always  in  sight, 
floating  in  the  air  about  the  vessel,  no  matter  how 
fast  she  goes.  Its  wings  seldom  move,  and  what 
its  propelling  power  is,  no  one  can  tell.  It  seems 
to  depend  only  on  its  volition.  The  Stormy  Petrel 
or  "  Mother  Carey's  Chicken,"  is  here  and  every- 
where else  on  the  ocean.  The  pretty  white  and 
black  Cape  Pigeons  flock  in  the  wake.  We  caught 
several  of  these  with  small  fish-hooks,  and  tried 
their  value  as  component  parts  of  a  pigeon-pie,  but 
the  flavor  was  rather  strong  and  oily.  The  homely, 
black  Cape  Hens  are  numerous  also.  They  always 
bring  to  my  mind  a  scene  witnessed  on  a  former 
voyage.  Coming  on  deck  one  Sunday,  I  found 
the  mate  and  passengers  engaged  in  tying  pieces 
of  pork  and  bits  of  red  flannel  at  each  end  of  a 
string  and  throwing  them  overboard.  The  Cape 
Hens  greedil}^  swallowed  the  pork,  and  several  of 
them  were  flying  about  with  streamers  hanging 
from  their  mouths ;  another  trick  was  to  tie  several 
pieces  of  pork  to  the  same  string.  Two  or  three 
birds  darting  at  these,  and  each  swallowing  a  piece, 
^iiey  would  rise  in  the  air  tied  together.    I  took 


62  ON  BOAltD  TRE  ROCKET. 


the  part  of  the  hens  on  this  occasion,  and  let  tlie 
mate  brace  the  yards  for  a  wliile. 

The  weather  was  cool  in  these  latitudes,  and  it 
was  no  longer  agreeable  to  sit  on  deck.  Our 
evenings  were  usually  passed  in  the  cabin,  and  I 
employed  some  of  the  hours  in  reading  to  the  pas- 
senger an  account  of  my  experiences  in  the  ship 
Dublin,  I  explained  to  him  that  it  was  written 
while  I  was  oflBcer  of  a  ship,  and  had  no  leisure  to 
attempt  literary  embellishment.  Its  sole  object 
was  to  record  the  events  relating  to  the  manage- 
ment of  the  crew,  and  I  requested  him  to  forbear 
criticism  of  its  style. 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "  DTTBLTN. 


w 


MY  first  voyage,  as  officer,  was  made  in  the  gc  rl 
ship  "  Dublin."  She  was  six  Imndred  to"  a 
register,  and  of  the  style  said  to  be  built,  Dovn 
East,  by  the  mile  and  sawed  off.  Her  bow  az.d 
Si'ern  were  so  square,  they  gave  an  impression  of 
truth  to  this  statement,  but  for  all  that  she  was  a 
staunch,  well  built  vessel,  and  though  twenty-one 
years  old  was  still  an  able  and  truitworthy  ship. 
Her  worthy  owner,  one  of  the  merchant  princes  of 
Boston,  used  to  go  down  on  the  wharf  and  rub  his 
hands  with  delight  when  the  old  "  Dublin"  came 
into  port.  She  was  his  favorite  ship,  and  her  blunt 
bow  was  more  attractive  to  him  thai*  the  rakish 
model  of  the  modern  clippers.  He  would  tell 
how  the  copper  bolts  were  driven  v/.o  her,  only 

one  inch  a  day,  to  make  them  "  fit  iolid ;  "  how 

.63 


/  '• 


64  OK  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

the  timbers  were  "scarfed"  and  "dowelled,"  and 
many  other  things  that  it  would  need  a  ship 
builder's  manual  to  interpret.  lie  considered  a 
great  honor  had  been  done  me,  by  tlic  permission 
to  go  to  sea  as  third  mate  of  her,  and  shook  liis 
head  with  misgivings  when  he  heard  that  the  cap- 
tain had  engaged  so  young  and  inexperienced  an 
officer.  I  had  been  to  sea  four  voyages,  one  of 
them  over  fourteen  months  around  the  world, 
before  the  mast.  I  could  hand,  reef  and  steer,  and 
do  the  ordinary  work  on  the  rigging,  as  well  as 
most  sailors,  so  I  did  not  consider  my  presumption 
very  great. 

Captain  Streeter,  her  commander,  was  a  fine- 
looking  man  of  about  forty  j^ears.  He  was  tall 
and  well  formed,  with  dark  complexion,  black  hair, 
beard  and  moustache,  and  a  coal-black,  flashing 
eye  that  bespoke  a  strong  will  and  a  passionate 
nature.  He  was  very  fluent  in  speech,  and  gave 
the  impression  oji  a  first  hearing  that  he  was  what 
sailors  call  "  a  blower." 

When  he  engaged  me,  he  gave  a  long  and  im- 
pressive harangue.  He  didn't  want  an  officer  that 
was  afraid  of  sailors,  but  at  the  same  time  he 
allowed  no  one  to  abuse  the  crew,  and  especially 
objected  to  the  use  of  profane  language,  which  he 
condemned  as  the  most  foolish  of  practices.  He 
appointed  the  day  for  me  to  come  on  board  and  I 
left  him  pleased  with  my  success,  but  with  a  lurk- 
ing suspicion  that  my  fair-talking  captain  might 


A  DARKEY  CREW.  66 

prove  to  belong  to  the  class  known  as  "  shore-saints 
and  sea-devils."  The  owner,  however,  was  one  of 
the  best  men  living,  a  noble  philantliropist,  and  a 
vice-president  of  the  Seamen's  Friend  Society.  I 
therefore  felt  some  assurance  that  his  ship  would 
have  a  respectable  captain  and  be  well  conducted. 

At  six  o'clock,  one  dark  morning  in  the  end  of 
November,  my  fond  father  bade  me  farewell  at  the 
door,  as  I  left  my  pleasant  home  and  its  gentle 
occupants,  and  trudged  to  East  Boston,  in  a  storm 
of  sleet,  to  enter  upon  a  sphere  and  mingle  with 
associates  so  contrasted,  that  I  needed  no  other 
illustration,  for  the  next  few  months,  to  impress 
upon  my  mind  the  two  extremes  of  the  future 
life. 

The  ship  was  bound  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  in 
ballast,  there  to  load  a  cargo  of  tobacco  for  the 
Mediterranean.  In  the  forenoon,  a  negro  crew  of 
fourteen  men  and  two  boys  came  on  board.  They 
were  mostly  fine  "  strapping  "  fellows,  with  bright 
eyes  and  shining  "  ivories,"  and  as  we  proceeded 
down  the  bay  they  made  the  decks  ring  with  their 
songs ;  the  maintopsail  going  to  the  mast-head  to 
the  tune  of  "  Come  down  you  bunch  o'  roses,  come 
down,"  and  the  foretopsail  halyards  answering  to 
the  strong  pulls  following  the  sentiment : 

"  Sally  Brown's  a  bright  Mulatto, 
She  drinks  rum  and  chews  tobacco," 

A  man  who  was  loosing  the  mizzen-topgallant- 


16  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET.  " 

sail  was  heard  to  utter  some  profane  exclamationg 
over  the  bunt  gasket,  which  was  made  fast  with  a 
knot  that  resisted  all  his  efforts  at  untying,  being 
what  sailors  call  "  an  anti-gallican  hitch/'  As  I 
have  mentioned,  Capt.  Streeter  had  remarked  a 
few  days  before  that  he  allowed  no  profane  lan- 
guage on  board  of  his  ship,  and  I  wondered  if  he 
would  take  any  notice  of  this ;  but  I  did  not  wait 
long  before  having  my  curiosity  satisfied.  The 
same  thought  [)robably  came  to  the  captain's  mind, 
for  he  stepped  to  where  he  could  get  a  good  look 
at  the  man,  and  then  began :  "  Button  your  lip 
up,  or  I'll  knock  spots  out  of  you.  I  don't  allow 
swearing  on  board  of  this  boat ; "  with  more  to  the 
same  effect,  accompanied  by  several  profane  epi- 
thets. It  was  evident  that  the  captain's  fluency  of 
speech  was  not  limited  to  polite  conversation,  and 
his  consistency  was  explained  by  his  remarking,  at 
a  future  time,  that  his  rule  on  board  ship  was,  "  do 
as  I  order,  not  as  I  do." 

The  Pilot  left  at  Boston  Light.  All  hands  were 
busily  employed  putting  things  to  rights,  for  a 
ship  is  seldom  in  order  except  when  at  sea.  There, 
men  are  constantly  laboring  to  keep  everything 
"  ship-shape  "  and  tidy,  and  the  moment  the  vesseil 
is  moored  at  the  wharf,  crew  and  officers  generally 
go  over  the  side,  stevedores,  riggers  and  carpenters 
take  possession,  and  the  decks  are  in  a  turmoil 
until  she  is  again  out  of  the  range  of  visitors. 

It  surprised  me  to  see  the  captain  interesting 


TUB  MATES.  **^ 

himself  in  all  the  work,  for  in  previous  voyages 
its  execution  had  been  left  entirely  to  the  officers. 
While  the  mate  was  securing  the  anchors,  the  ca[)- 
tiiin  visited  the  topgallant  forecastle  and  offered 
suggestions,  which  the  high-spirited  first  officer 
treated  with  a  contemptuous  silence.  The  black 
eyes  shone  with  suppressed  rage,  and  their  owner 
transferred  his  interference  to  the  second  mate's 
liibor?s  which  were  being  employed  in  putting  on 
chafing-gear.  He  soon  worked  this  officer  into 
such  a  flurry,  that  he  hardly  knew  whether  he 
stood  on  his  head  or  his  heels,  and  then  after  put- 
ting a  stop  to  a  job  the  carpenter  had  undertaken, 
and  peeping  into  the  cook's  boilers  to  see  how 
much  beef  they  contained,  to  the  delight  of  all,  he 
disappeared  into  the  cabin,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
his  loud  tones  showed  that  the  steward  was  the 
object  of  his  attentions. 

In  the  evening,  after  the  watches  were  chosen, 
the  captahi  joined  the  officers  on  deck  and  talked 
familiarly  v/ith  us,  illustrating  his  remarks  by  anec- 
dotes and  comparisons  more  amusing  than  refined. 
We  were  obliged  to  confess  to  each  other  that  he 
was  a  very  agreeable  man  in  private,  and  for  a 
time  forgot  all  the  mental  imprecations  we  had 
bestowed  on  him  during  the  day,  on  account  of 
his  interference  with  the  wor\. 

The  mate  and  second  mate  had  a  talk  by  them- 
selves concerning  their  duties,  and  the  second 
mate,  while  expatiating  upon  his  own  good  qualifi- 


68  ON   BUAED   THE   KOCKEV. 

cations,  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  pulling  out 
a  pair  of  brass  knuckles  put  them  upon  his  hand. 
Holding  his  fist  up,  he  said:  "I  always  carry  my 
tools  with  me,  and  if  you  ever  want  any  work 
done,  you  have  only  to  say  the  word,  and  you'll 
find  me  on  hand  like  Day  and  Martin's  blacking." 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  let  me  see  those  things 
again,  while  you're  on  board  of  this  ship,"  said 
the  mate. 

"Why  so;  do  you  intend  to  let  those  sailors 
play  Isaac  and  Josh  with  you  ?  " 

"No,"  said  the  mate,  "but  when  I  can't  keep 
men  in  order,  without  using  such  weapons  as  that, 
I'll  give  up  to  some  one  who  can.  I  never  knew 
a  man  yet  who  carried  such  things  but  he  proved 
to  be  a  coward  at  heart." 

"No  man  can  call  me  a  coward,^'  replied  the 
second  mate  in  an  angry  tone. 

"  Well,"  said  the  mate,  "  I  hope  you  are  not  one, 
but  I  shall  think  better  of  you  if  I  hear  nothing 
more  about  brass  knuckles." 

This  was  not  a  very  pleasant  opening  of  ac- 
quaintance, and  both  parties  took  at  the  outset  a 
dislike  to  each  other. 

1  gained  from  each  of  them  a  brief  account  of 
their  antecedents. 

Mr.  Morrison,  the  first  mate,  was  a  Scotchman  by 
birth,  about  forty-two  j^ears  of  age.  He  had  been 
captain  of  English  vessels,  but  having  met  with 
misfortunes,  concerning  which   he  was  very  reti- 


A   BULLY.  6)3 

cent,  he  had  begun  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the 
American  merchant  service.  He  was  a  short, 
thick-set  man,  with  a  ruddy  complexion  and  a  cast 
of  countenance  expressing  courage  and  determi- 
nation. His  bearing  was  significant  of  "  Scotch 
pride."  He  was  a  man  of  much  intelligence  and 
had  received  a  good  education. 

Mr.  Howard,  the  second  mate,  hailed  from  the . 
State  of  Maine.  He  was  of  medium  height  and 
well  built,  but  had  a  brutal  look  and  seemed  ordi- 
nary in  intelligence.  He  frankly  confided  to  mo 
the  immediate  occasion  of  his  shipping  in  the 
"  Dublin." 

"  Last  voyage  I  was  second  mate  of  the 
'  Minerva.'  We  had  a  nigger  crew  and  used  'em  , 
pretty  rough  I  must  say ;  but  I  had  'em  in  such 
good  discipline  that  one  day  I  got  mad  with  a 
^moke  '  about  something  and  I  told  him  to  lay  his 
head  down  on  the  hatch  for  I  was  going  to  chop 
it  off.  He  did  just  as  I  told  liim,  and  though  he 
thought  I  was  going  to  kill  him,  he  didn't  dare  to 
move  or  say  his  soul  was  his  own.  That's  what  I 
call  good  discipline. 

''  We  kept  them  under  well  enough  at  sea,  but 
when  we  got  into  Rio  Janeiro,  what  did  the  scamps 
do  but  set  fire  to  the  ship,  and  burn  her  up ;  and  , 
two  days  after  a  gang  of  'era  caught  me  one  even- 
ing in  the  street,  and  gave  me  such  a  pounding 
that  I  couldn't  see  out  of  my  eyes  for  a  fortnight. 
I  believe  they'd  have  killed  me  if  the  police  hadn't 


70  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

come  along  and  rescued  me.  I  vowed  then  1 
would  sail  just  once  more  with  a  nigger  crew,  and 
from  what  I  hear  of  this  captain,  I  think  he's  just 
the  man  that'll  suit  me." 

The  "  Dublin  "  had  a  fair  start.  In  three  da3^s 
we  sighted  the  Capes  of  Virginia  and  in  two  more 
worked  up  the  James  River  to  City  Point.  City 
Point  then  consisted  of  about  twenty  dwelling 
houses  beside  the  negroes'  cabins,  and  had  wharves 
at  which  the  vessels  lay  while  receiving  their 
cargoes  of  tobacco,  which  came  to  them  in 
lighters  from  the  city  of  Richmond,  about  thirty 
miles  above,  the  shallowness  of  the  river  prevent- 
ing anytliing  but  vessels  of  light  draft  from  pro- 
ceeding there.  The  tobacco  was  packed  in  large 
hogsheads,  weighing  from  one  thousand  to  eigh- 
teen hundred  pounds,  and  as  the  crew  hoisted 
them  in  they  kept  up  a  song  from  morning  till 
night.  Negro  stevedores  from  the  shore  stowed 
them  in  the  hold,  and  the  captain  spent  almost  all 
his  time  down  there,  watching  that  they  saved  all 
the  room  possible,  frequently  making  them  *'  break 
out "  again,  to  the  great  disgust  of  the  negroes. 
I  heard  one  of  them  saying  to  the  others  :  "  I  neb- 
ber  see  such  a  man  as  dis  cap'n  afore ;  he  tinks  he 
knows  eberjting  and  nobody  else  don't  know 
nuffin." 

There  was  of  course  nothing  here  to  interest  us 
beyond  receiving  our  tobacco,  and  whc^n  the  ship 
was  loaded  to  sixteen  feet  draft  slie  dropped  down 


OWNERS    INSTRUCTIONS.  Tl 

the  river  ten  miles,  into  deeper  water,  and  there 
completed  her  cargo. 

On  a  fine  clear  day  in  the  end  of  December,  we 
left  the  shore  of  Virginia  astern  and  steered  for 
the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  Fresh  and  favorabh) 
winds  prevailed  for  several  days  and  we  niacK; 
good  progress  on  our  voyage. 

One  evening  the  captain  in  a  confidential  mood 
read  us  some  extracts  from  the  owner's  letter  of 
instructions,  and  was  particularly  merry  over  the 
latter  part  of  it,  which  read :  "  You  will  distribute 
to  the  men  the  books  and  tracts  which  are  supplied. 
You  will  endeavor  to  suppress  all  vice  and  immor- 
ality on  board  of  your  vessel  and  use  your  best 
efforts  to  promote  the  welfare  of  your  crew." 

The  inmates  of  the  ship  now  felt  acquainted 
with  each  other,  and  as  a  general  thing  their  good 
opinions  were  very  much  modified. 

Capt.  Streeter  having  no  taste  for  reading,  and 
being  a  man  of  energetic  and  active  temperament, 
could  not  content  himself  in  his  cabin,  and  was 
almost  constantly  on  deck  roaming  about  the  ship, 
criticizing  every  job  of  work,  "in  every  body's 
mess  and  nobody's  watch." 

When  bracing  yards,  making  or  taking  in  sail, 
he  would  stand  on  top  of  the  house,  and  accompany 
his  orders  with  volleys  of  oaths,  provided  things 
were  not  done  exactly  to  his  mind.  If  the  crew 
did  not  move  quite  actively  enough,  and  nothing 
in  this  way  would  suit  him  but  the  "  clean  jump/' 


72  ON   BOAKD  THE  KOCKET. 

every  blackguard  epithet  that  his  fluent  tongud 
and  inventive  brain  could  command  was  heaped 
upon  them :  Scoundrels,  black  scorpions,  and 
names  too  filthy  for  utterance  were  their  common 
titles  at  such  times,  and  when  the  men  and  oflicers 
did  so  well  that  he  could  not  find  a  point  to  cen- 
sure, he  seemed  rather  disappointed  at  losing  an 
opportunity  for  this  favorite  employment.  Sailors 
call  such  a  man,  "  a  blower." 

At  night  no  one  was  allowed  to  sit  down  on 
deck,  and  though  no  work  was  to  be  done,  the 
sailors  had  to  keep  on  their  legs.  Such  strict  rules 
of  course  gave  the  officers  a  good  deal  of  disagree- 
able work.  From  eight  to  twelve  at  night  the  men 
would  have  to  walk  the  deck,  unless  engaged  in 
working  ship,  and  when  at  four  o'clock,  A.M.,  they 
were  roused  out,  after  four  hours  slumber,  they 
could  not  always  resist  the  temptation  to  sit  down 
on  a  spar,  or  lean  over  a  water-cask.  In  spite 
of  their  efforts  to  keep  awake,  their  heads  would 
drop  upon  their  arms  and  they  would  fall  asleep. 

If  any-one  wishes  to  experience  something  which 
in  liis  recollections  will  serve  as  a  synonym  for 
misery,  let  him  sail  in  such  a  ship  and  stand  the 
morning  watcli.  In  the  hour  from  four  to  five  as 
he  stumbles  about  the  deck,  endeavoring  to  drive 
away  the  drowsiness  that  weighs  down  his  eyelids, 
he  will  feel  a  wretchedness,  which,  unless  he  is  a 
very  unfortunate  man,  will  seldom,  if , ever,  be  sur« 
passed  during  his  life.  v 


.,      "WRITING  THE   LOG.  73 

The  mate  failed  to  carry  out  these  orders  very 
strictly,  as  he  knew  it  could  onlj^  be  done  by  harsh 
measures ;  for  though  his  fiery  temper  often  led 
him  to  strike  a  blow  at  some  unlucky  sailor,  he 
despised  all  premeditated  schemes  to  abuse  or 
oppress  them.  Besides  this,  he  thought  he  saw 
through  the  captain's  character.  He  imaghied 
that  he  was  anxious  to  gain  for  the  "  Dublin"  the 
reputation  of  being  a  "  hard  "  ship,  provided  his 
officers  would  do  all  the  necessary  "  dirty  work," 
but  was  unwilling  to  expose  himself  to  the  present 
dangers  of  fighting,  or  the  future  disgrace  of  lawsuits. 
Their  relations  to  each  other  were  not  very  pleas- 
ant, for  the  mate  was  jealous  of  the  captain's  inter- 
ference with  his  work,  and  the  captain,  perceiving 
his  state  of  mind,  attempted  to  retaliate  by  little 
acts  of  oppression,  of  which  one  will  be  sufficient 
to  show  the  spirit. 

The  mate's  room  was  very  small.  His  only  con- 
venience for  writing  up  his  log  book  was  at  a  nar- 
row  standing  desk,  where  he  was  too  much  cramped 
to  do  it  neatly. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  passage  he  sat  down  at 
the  table  in  the  forward  cabin  to  perform  this  pait 
of  his  duty,  and  the  captain  coming  from  his  spa- 
cious after-cabin  found  him  there  at  work.  Upon 
seeing  him  he  drew  himself  up,  and  in  a  pompous 
way  said:  "  Mr.  Morrison,  I  want  3^ou  to  understand 
that  my  cabin  table  isn't  a  writing  desk  for  of- 
ficers." '..H:v.'-  .  .  -.:  .     •.\.-. ■>-•■■       -■:-.--     -.    ^-^"-:     ■■■.-     -,-& 


74  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

0 

"  Oh,  indeed,"  said  the  mate.  "  I've  always  been 
accustomed  to  have  the  use  of  it  even  for  my 
private  writing,  and  I  had  no  idea  you  would  object 
to  my  writing  the  ship's  log  here." 

"  You  must  learn  you  ai'n't  aboard  one  of  your 
lime-juice  ships  now,"  was  the  courteous  response, 
and  the  mate  retired  to  his  room,  his  Scotch  pride 
and  temper  almost  overcoming  his  desire  to  respect 
the  captain. 

But  the  second  mate  was  a  man  after  the  cap- 
tain's own  heart.  It  was  only  necessary  to  show 
him  the  way  to  the  captain's  good  graces,  and  his 
subservience  joined  to  his  own  brutal  passions 
made  him  an  earnest  disciple. 

The  crew  were  a  pretty  independent  and  saucy 
set  of  negroes,  and  required  a  strict  hand  to  keep 
them  under.  From  the  very  first  there  had  been 
almost  daily  little  difficulties,  and  at  one  time  at 
City  Point  a  general  knockdown  was  only  pre- 
vented by  the  mate's  interfering  between  the  sec- 
ond mate  and  a  sailor,  to  the  great  wrath  of  the 
former. 

A  few  days  after  leaving  the  Chesapeake,  Mr. 
Howard  was  going  around  the  deck  at  about  half- 
past  four  in  the  morning,  and  found  a  man  called 
Brooks  sitting  down  and  nodding.  He  awakened 
him  very  suddenly  by  raising  him  up  by  the  ears, 
and  then  set  the  whole  watch  to  work  bracing  the 
yards  "  in "  a  little.  The  men  were  sleepy,  and 
cross  at  this  "humbugging,"  for  they  knew  the 


BKASS    KNUCKLES.  76 

wind  had  not  altered  at  all,  and  this  was  merely  a 
"  work  up  job."  They  were  not  very  prompt  with 
their  Aye,  aye,  sir. 

"'  Haul  in  the  topgallant-brace  "  said  the  oflScer. 

No  answer  followed,  but  he  saw  the  order  was 
obeyed. 

"  Belay !  *' 

Still  no  answer. 

"  Sing  out,"  said  he ;  "  if  you  don't  open  your 
gills  I'll  slaughter  you.     Haul  in  the  royal-brace ! " 

No  answer. 

He  turned  in  a  rage  and  catching  hold  of 
Brooks,  who  was  nearest  him,  gave  him  a  blow  with 
his  brass  knuckles  that  would  have  unsettled  any 
ordinary  head.  But  the  darkey's  skull  was  not 
very  sensitive,  and  he  at  once  drew  his  sheath- 
knife,  and  stabbed  Howard  in  the  abdomen.  He 
had  on  thick  clothes,  and  the  knife  after  cutting 
through  them  inflicted  only  a  small  flesh  wound. 
Howard  was  rather  frightened  by  this  episode,  and 
not  knowing  how  badly  he  was  cut,  upon  seeing 
the  other  men  seize  handspikes  and  belaying  pins 
ready  to  join  Brooks,  in  case  of  any  further  attack, 
he  thought  it  best  to  retreat.  After  breakfast  he 
reported  the  case  to  the  captain,  who  sent  for 
Brooks  to  come  into  the  cabin,  where  he  took  his 
position  with  a  pistol  and  a  fathom  of  ratline  stuff. 
Having  shut  the  door,  so  that  there  should  be  no 
witnesses,  he  made  the  man  take  off  his  shirt ;  and 
then  flogged  him  till  the  blood  flowed  down  hia 


76  ON  BOABD  THE  BOCKET. 

back,  and  the  man's  cries  and  promises  made  him 
desist. 

The  captain's  prompt  espousal  of  the  second 
mate's  cause  showed  that  he  would  stand  by  his 
ofHcers,  and  it  had  the  effect  of  making  tlie  crew 
more  respectful  and  careful. 

Being  the  third  mate,  I  was  of  course  in  the 
mate's  watch ;  my  duty  was  to  follow  up  the  execu- 
tion of  the  mate's  orders,  and  look  after  the  little 
details  of  work.  I  must  know  the  place  for  every- 
thing and  see  that  it  was  in  its  place.  When  the 
decks  were  cleared  up  at  night,  if  the  mate  in  his 
inspection  spied  a  stray  marlinespike  or  serving- 
board,  it  was  the  third  mate  who  had  to  answer 
for  it.  If  a  sailor  wanted  spunyarn  or  seizing- 
stuff  to  work  yyith,  it  was  the  third  mate  who  must 
know  where  to  find  it  and  run  and  get  it,  or  if  the 
lockers  were  not  in  order  or  the  tar-barrel  fetched 
adrift  he  was  the  first  looked  at  for  blame.  In  his 
turn  of  course  he  could  growl  at  thu  sailors,  but 
that  was  rather  poor  satisfaction,  and  he  had  not 
filled  his  office  many  days  before  he  came  to  tlie 
conclusion  that  it  was  a  most  thankless  billet,  and 
that  a  third  mate's  portion  contained  ''  a  larger  share 
of  kicks  than  of  coppers."  I  was  onl}'  nineteen 
j^ears  old.  The  sailors  looked  upon  me  as  a 
}'oungster,  and  were  not  inclined  to  be  particularly 
respectful,  thinking  I  wouldn't  dare  to  use  foice 
with  them. 


llEEJblNG    TOI'SAILS.  77 

The  captain  watched  me  very  closely,  wisHing 
to  traiu  me  up  in  the  way  I  should  go,  and  many  a 
liarsh-sounding  order  or  rebuke  I  got  from  him  on 
deck,  all  the  more  galling  because  given  in  the 
presence  of  the  men.  But  personally  the  captain 
seemed  favorably  inclined  toward  me,  or  else  he 
feared  lest  I  might  make  a  report  of  his  doings  to 
the  owner,  and  thus  sought  frequent  opportunities 
to  talk  with  me  and  smooth  over  my  ruffled  feel- 
ings. It  is  not  customary  for  a  captain  to  have 
any  conversation  with  a  third  mate,  and  I  was  not 
quite  sure  as  to  his  motive,  though  I  leaned  to  the 
latter  opinion,  judging  from  the  tenor  of  all  his 
stories,  talk  and  advice,  which  was  to  the  sole  end 
of  discipline,  or,  perhaps  more  exactly,  of  fighting 
sailors.  In  consulting  with  the  mate  as  to  this  he 
gave  me  a  decided  opinion.  "All  the  old  man 
wants,"  said  he,  "  is  to  have  you  tarred  with  the 
same  brush  as  himself,  and  then  he  thinks  you 
^A'ouldn't  injure  him  ashore,  for  you  know  it  doesn't 
do  for  the  pot  to  call  the  kettle  black." 

One  day  we  were  reefing  the  mizzen-topsail  and 
I  was  astride  of  the  yard-arm  hauling  out  the 
weather  earing.  The  captain  saw  from  the  deck 
that  th^,  men  had  not  gathered  up  all  the  slack 
sail  on  top  of  the  yard,  before  tying  the  reef- 
points  ;  and  he  at  once  set  up  a  roar  of  mingled 
oaths  and  orders,  which,  with  a  storm  howling 
past  my  ears  produced  a  bewildering  effect. 
With  some  difficulty  I   divined    the  pith  of  his 


78  ON  BOABD  THE  ROCKET. 

remarks,  and  gave  the  necessary  directions;  but 
this  was  not  enough  for  the  captain,  who  sang  out 
to  me,  "  What's  the  use  of  sitting  there  and  talk- 
ing to  them,  get  up  on  the  yard  and  kick  their 
heads  off."  A  good  deal  more  followed,  but  I  was 
too  angry  to  hear  anything  else  and  paid  no  atten- 
tion. 

The  captain  saw  that  I  was  rather  out  of  sorts 
for  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  in  the  dog-watch  came 
up  to  me  as  I  was  leaning  against  the  booby-hatch 
and  began  in  his  pleasant  fluent  way  to  tell  me  a 
story. 

*'  You  never  met  Mr.  Jones  of  Baltimore  did 
you?" 

"  No  sir,  I  never  did." 

**  Well,  he  was  my  second  mate,  when  I  had  the 
ship  '  Daphne  '  in  the  China  trade." 

I  had  heard  from  good  authority  on  shore  that 
the  ''Dublin"  was  the  only  ship  Capt.  Streeter 
had  ever  commanded,  and  since  being  at  sea  with 
him  I  had  learned  that  Mr.  Jones  was  his  ideal 
officer,  and  whenever  he  wished  to  give  a  hint  to 
liis  present  mates  upon  points  where  he  felt  he 
could  not  command,  his  favorite  and  usual  method 
was  to  convey  it  in  a  story  about  Mr.  Jones,  and 
Mr.  Jones'  name  had  already  become  a  by-word 
among  the  officers.  I  knew  what  was  coming  and 
prepared  to  receive  instructions. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  continued  the  captain,  "  never 
went  aloft  to  reef  topsails  without  having  a  belay- 


MB.  JONES.  70 

ing  pin  stuck  into  the  leg  of  liis  boot,  lie  used 
to  take  his  stand  in  the  slings  of  the  yard,  and  if 
the  sail  wasn't  picked  up  pretty  lively,  before  you 
could  count  twenty  he  would  liave  been  out  on 
both  yard-arms,  and  hit  every  man  a  tap  on  the 
head  that  made  'em  take  hold  like  young  tigers. 
Then  when  the  sail  was  reefed  he'd  sing  out,  'lay 
down,'  and  as  every  man  got  into  the  rigging^ 
if  he  wasn't  mighty  spry,  he'd  get  helped  along 
with  a  kick,  and  then  he  followed  the  last  man 
down  and  jumped  on  his  head  and  shoulders,  if  he 
could  overtake  him.  I  tell  you  it  was  fun  to  see 
them  scatter  when  he  said  'lay  down.*  They 
would  come  sliding  down  the  backstays  like  a  par- 
cel of  monkeys,  and  once  a  Dutchman,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  the  last  man,  and  saw  the  second 
mate's  boots  just  above  his  head,  got  so  frightened 
that  he  jumped  down  from  half  way  up  the  main- 
rigging  and  broke  his  leg.  I  had  to  scold  Jones 
though  a  little  for  that,  as  the  galoot  was  laid  up 
the  rest  of  the  voyage." 

''I  should  think  that  was  rather  poor  economy," 
said  I,  "to  lose  a  man's  labor  for  several  months, 
for  the  sake  of  gaining  a  few  seconds  time  in  get- 
ting down  from  aloft." 

''  It  paid  though,  after  all,"  answered  the  cap- 
tain, "  for  Jones  could  get  as  much  work  out  of  six 
men  as  some  could  out  of  a  dozen.  It's  worse 
economy  to  be  too  humane  with  sailors." 


80  ON   BOAJiD   THE   ROCKET. 

*'  If  that  is  being  a  smart  officer  I  hardly  think 
I  shall  become  one/'  said  I. 

*'  ril  tell  you  what  it  is,  you'll  never  make  one 
unless  you  give  up  some  of  your  conscientious 
scruples.  1  must  say  you  do  very  well  about  your 
work,  but  you're  too  humane  a  man  to  go  to  sea, 
and  if  you  want  to  get  along  in  this  profession 
you've  got  to  leave  youi*  nice  principles  on  shore. 
There's  no  religion  off  soundings.  The  captain  of 
a  ship  has  got  to  be  a  liar,  a  cheat,  a  swearer,  a 
fighter  and  a  tyrant ;  in  fact,  if  you  mean  to  be  a 
good  mate  or  a  good  captain  you've  got  to  be  a 
rascal." 

"  If  good  principles  are  good  for  anything  rhey 
are  good  for  ever}^^ thing,"  I  replied,  "and  if  what 
you  say  is  true,  either  this  is  a  profession  no  one 
ought  to  follow  or  else  religion  is  a  sham  and 
ought  to  be  hove  overboard  entirely.  A  good 
God  would  never  have  imposed  laws  upon  us 
which  would  interfere  with  our  necessary  occupa- 
tions, and  I  don't  believe  he  meant  the  Golden 
Rule  to  be  confined  to  the  shore." 

"  That  all  sounds  very  fine  "  said  the  captain, 
"  and  perhaps  you'd  better  knock  off  going  to  sea 
and  set  up  for  a  parson.  But  you  mark  my  words, 
if  you  go  to  sea,  you'll  have  to  give  up  your  prin- 
ciples sooner  or  later,  and  you  may  as  well  make 
up  your  mind  to  it  now.  I've  seen  a  good  many 
that  started  as  fair  as  you've  done,  but  it  didn't 
last  long.     But  here  we've  got  proof 'right  along- 


THE   BRICK-WALL  THEOllY,  81 

Side  of  US.  Just  look  at  Mr.  Howard's  watch 
there.  Every  time  he  opens  liis  mouth  you  see 
them  piling  along  like  greased  lightning,  and  he 
gets  half  a  dozen  answers  for  every  order.  But 
your  men  don't  answer  you  half  the  time,  and 
they  move  slower  than  real  estate  in  Chelsea. 

Now  if  you  saw  a  man  walking  alongside  of  a 
high  brick  wall,  and  you  politely  asked  him  to  step 
along  a  little  faster,  lie'd  stop  and  look  at  you ; 
but  if  you  told  him  the  brick  wall  was  tumbling 
down  over  his  head  you'd  see  how  quick  he'd 
make  the  dust  fly.  It's  just  so  with  a  sailor,  if 
you  are  civil  to  him  he  won't  care  a  curse  for  you, 
but  if  you  lot  him  know  there's  something  coming  • 
down  on  his  head  he'll  move  quick  and  respect 
you.  A  man  didn't  answer  Mr.  Jones  once,  and 
he  just  picked  up  the  carpenter's  caulking  mallet 
and  hit  hira  over  the  head.  He  never  had  to 
spej\k  twice  to  him  after  that." 

Finding  the  captain  had  got  back  to  his  favorite 
Mr.  Jones,  I  thought  it  was  of  no  use  to  prolong 
the  talk,  and  it  being  my  watch  below  I  went  to 
my  room.  Sitting  down  upon  my  chest  I  thought 
of  the  contrast  between  the  captain's  instructions 
and  the  teachings  of  home,  and  wondered  if  I 
must  abandon  the  latter.  It  was  very  evident 
that  there  was  not  the  strict  discipline  in  the 
mate's  w^atch  that  there  was  in  the  second  mate's, 
and  the  captain's  comparisons  galled  me ;  but  it 
seemed  to  me  that  the  discipline  in  oiu-  watch  wajf 


82  ON   BOAED  THE   ROCKET. 

good  enough  ;  the  men  did  their  duty  well  and 
were  respectful,  except  that  they  were  not  always 
particular  about  answering  «n.nd  sometimes  walked 
along  the  deck  to  ordinary  work,  whereas  the  sec- 
ond mate's  men  always  ran,  knowing  that  a  belay- 
ing pin  or  stick  of  firewood  would  be  hurled  after 
them  if  they  didn't.  I  felt  the  captain  was  right 
in  saying  that  such  strict  discipline  could  not  be 
maintained,  except  b}'  working  on  the  fears  of  the 
men,  but  the  question  with  me  was  whether  it  was 
necessary  to  be  so  strict.  Our  men  in  a  squall,  or 
gale  of  wind,  would  be  just  as  smart  as  the  second 
mate's.  It  was  only  in  ordinary  and  comparatively 
unimportant  work  that  they  were  at  all  behind- 
hand, and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  a  system  which 
necessarily  required  inhumanit}^  and  a  sacrifice  of 
honorable  principles  must  be  wrong,  and  I  would 
have  as  little  to  do  with  it  as  possible.  Opening 
my  chest  I  took  out  a  bundle  of  letters  and  se- 
lected one  from  my  father.  It  was  an  answer  to 
one  I  had  written  from  City  Point,  in  which  I 
spoke  of  the  severe  discipline  which  was  main- 
tained on  board  the  "  Dublin,"  and  the  course 
which  was  required  of  the  oflQccrs,  and  asked  for 
advice. 

The  reply  was  as  follows :  "  I  see  that  you  are 
partaking  of  the  responsibilities  of  life.  I  should 
wink  at  some  things  —  not  see  them.  I  would  not 
be  what  they  call  a  '  martinet '  in  discipline,  making 
much  of  little  things,  and  enforcing  little   rules 


LAND,  no!  83 

with  an  air  of  authority.  But  I  would  establish 
my  character  with  the  men  for  good  nature,  making 
them  feel  that  in  not  obeying  they  offend  against 
kindness.  I  do  believe  that  the  Gospel  contains 
all  the  principles  necessary  to  guide  us  in  govern- 
ment, and  that  the  ways  in  which  God  treats  us 
may  often  safely  be  adopted.  Men  are  very  sensi- 
tive to  kindness.  If  you  have  opportunity  to  show 
it  without  risking  authority,  it  is  well.  I  do  not 
believe  that  it  is  necessary  to  speak  always  in  a 
tone  of  stern  authority.  I  would  be  very  slow  to 
strike  if  I  were  you.  But  remember  that  you  are 
now  one  of  the  'powers  that  be,'  and  they  are 
'ordained  of  God.'  He  will  help  you  govern  if 
you  look  to  him,  for  government  is  a  divine  ordi- 
nance ;  and  a  third  mate  is  as  really  government  as 
Lords  of  Admiralty  or  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

After  reading  this  over  again,  I  imagined  how 
Capt.  Streeter  would  sneer  at  the  idea  of  influenc- 
ing sailors  by  kindness,  and  could  almost  hear  him 
saying,  "  The  only  thing  that  will  influence  a  sailor 
is  a  belaying-pin.  Be  kind  to  them  and  they'll 
only  laugh  at  you." 

When  twelve  days  out  the  welcome  cry  of 
"  Land,  ho ! "  was  heard  in  the  morning,  and  in 
the  horizon,  above  a  low,  narrow  bank  of  clouds, 
appeared  the  top  of  the  mountain  on  Pico,  one  of 
the  "  Western  Islands,"  or  Azores,  at  least  sixty 
miles  distant.  This  mountain  is  over  7,500  feet 
high,  and  can  be  seen  in  a  clear  day  one  hundred 


8-i  ON   BOARD   THE  KOCKET. 

miles  at  sea.  In  the  afternoon  we  passed  to  tlie 
southward  of,  and  near  to,  Fayal,  then  by  Pico, 
catching  a  glimpse  of  St.  George's  Island  in  the 
distance  between  them.  The  rich  verdure  of  these 
islands  and  their  elevations  —  for  Fayal  has  a  moun- 
tain of  three  thousand  feet  — were  pleasant  changes 
from  the  blue  and  level  waters ;  and  all  enjoyed 
that  beautiful  afternoon  as  we  glided  swiftly  by 
these  mid-ocean  oases.  Even  the  captain  and  sec- 
ond mate  laid  aside  their  accustomed  scowl,  and 
not  an  oath  polluted  the  balmy  atmosphere.  St. 
Michaers  was  passed  on  the  starboard  hand  in 
the  evening,  and  the  next  day  we  came  up  with 
an  Encrlish  schooner  bound  from  London  to  St. 
Michaers,  but  steering  for  Spain.  Capt.  Streeter 
told  the  skipper  that  he  had  sighted  the  island  the 
evening  before,  and  gave  him  his  longitude.  The 
schooner  turned  about  and  steered  in  the  other 
direction. 

It  was  blowing  a  pleasant  westerly  breeze  this 
day ;  but  at  noon  a  school  of  porpoises  came  dash- 
ing along,  passed  the  ship's  bow  without  stopping 
to  play  around.it,  as  they  are  so  fond  of  doing,  and 
made  away  towards  the  north-east.  The  captain 
said  it  was  a  sure  sign  that  the  wind  was  coming 
from  that  quarter ;  for  sailors  regard  it  as  an  estab- 
lished f  u:  t  that  porpoises  either  go  "  head  to  the 
wind,"  or  else  towards  the  quarter  of  a  coming 
breeze.  » 

The  porpoises  and  the  captain  were  right  this 


MOTHER  CAREY'S   CHICKEN.  86 

time.  The  wind  gradually  hauled  around  by  the 
N.  to  N.E.,  and  by  night  tlie  ship  was  braced  sharp 
up  on  the  port  tack.  The  Mother  Carey's  chickens 
were  flitthig  about  in  the  ship's  wake  very  actively, 
uttering  their  feeble  chirps  with  more  animation 
than  usual.  The  captain,  noticing  them,  and  at 
the  same  time  perceiving  a  low  bank  of  clouds  to 
windward,  predicted  a  speedy  advent  of  the  gah). 
He  proved  a  correct  interpreter  of  the  signs.  We 
were  called  out  in  the  night  to  shorten  sail,  and  for 
twenty-four  hours  were  hove  to  under  the  close- 
reefed  maintopsail.  Speaking  of  the  Mother  Carey's 
chickens,  the  captain  asked  me  if  I  ever  had  smelt 
one,  and  said:  r 

"  I  once  caught  one  with  a  hook  and  line,  and 
killed  it,  thinking  I  would  stuff  it ;  but  I  had  not 
got  far  along  with  the  work  before  the  odor  made 
me  sick,  and  I  hove  it  overboard.  Though  it  was 
eight  years  ago,  the  smell  is  on  my  hands  still. 
You  know  they  say,  that  all  the  sailors  that  die  at 
sea  turn  into  Mother  Carey's  chickens,  and  the 
captains  into  albatrosses;  and  I  expect  this  odor 
hangs  on  to  me  because  I  love  sailors  so  well.  But 
I  must  give  you  a  chance  to  judge  for  yourself." 

A  day  or  two  after,  in  a  calm,  he  shot  oLie  at  a 
little  distance  from  the  ship,  and  made  one  of  the 
boys  jump  overboard  and  swim  for  it,  in  spite  of 
his  dread  of  sharks.  When  he  had  obtained  it  he 
roused  me  out  of  a  sound  nap  to  come  out  aud 


86  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

smell  of  it,  yotj  much  to  my  disgust.     I  found  its 
odor  was,  to  say  the  least,  rather  disagreeable. 

The  afternoon  before  making  the  land,  the  cap- 
tain ordered  the  mate  to  get  the  anchors  on  to  the 
rail  and  bend  the  chains.  Mr.  Morrison  proceeded 
to  carry  out  the  order,  but  to  his  great  annoyance 
Capt.  Streeter  came  forward  and  kept  putting 
in  his  oar,  giving  suggestions  and  directions.  This 
was  a  thing  so  peculiarly  in  the  mate's  province, 
which,  if  one  did  not  understand  it,  would  prove 
him  lacking  in  the  lowest  qualifications  for  a  mate's 
situation,  that  the  worthy  official's  temper  was 
greatly  aroused.  He  suppressed  it  for  a  time ;  but 
at  each  interference  his  face  grew  redder  and 
redder,  and  when  at  last  the  captain  told  him  that 
the  ring  of  the  anchor  ought  to  be  brought  closer 
up  to  the  cat-head,  the  storm  burst  forth,  and  turn 
ing  around  with  a  fiery  face  and  defiant  eye,  he 
said,  "  Capt.  Streeter,  just  go  aft  and  mind  your 
own  business ;  I  can  take  care  of  the  anchors." 

"  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  am  captain  of  this 
ship,  and  111  do  what  I  please,"  answered  the 
captain,  pale  with  rage. 

"  I  know  you're  cap'n ;  but  I  want  you  to  know 
the  owners  put  me  aboard  to  be  mate,  and  I've  let 
you  do  my  work  long  enough." 

All  the  men  stood  amazed  at  the  mate's  daring 
in  thus  confronting  our  ferocious  captain,  and 
looked  for  nothing  short  of  his  being  murdered ; 
but  to  our  great  surprise  the  captain  cooled  down, 


CAPTAIN  AND  MATE.  87 

and  in  a  mild,  persuasive  way  said:  "But,  Mr. 
Morrison,  just  look  at  the  philosophy  of  the  thing," 
(a  favorite  phrase  with  him),  "you  see  if  that 
anchor —  " 

"  There's  no  philosophy  about  it,"  burst  out  the 
mate's  sharp  voice.  "  I  don't  want  to  have  any  talk 
with  you.  I'll  only  treat  you  with  the  contempt 
you  deserve,"  and  turning  his  back  towards  him,  he 
drowned  another  mild  reply  by  shouting :  "  Lower 
away  the  fish-tackle  !  "  and  giving  continuous  orders 
to  the  men.  The  captain,  finding  himself  literally 
checkmated,  walked  aft,  apparently  calm,  but  with 
a  tempest  raging  within.  He  sat  down  on  the 
booby-hatch,  and  tried  to  devise  some  means  of 
humiliating  the  mate.  His  schemes  always  reached 
their  culminating  point  in  his  brick-wall  theory, 
but  when  he  thought  of  tlie  expediencj'  of  applying 
it  in  this  case,  and  letting  the  brick-wall  come 
down  on  Mr.  Morrison's  head,  he  muttered :  "  He's 
such  a  fiery  tempered  man,  I  guess  it  won't  do." 

As  soon  as  the  mate  had  got  the  anchors  placed, 
lie  told  me  to  secure  them  and  to  clear  up,  and 
then  went  aft,  thinking  he  might  as  well  settle 
matters  now,  if  they  needed  any  more  settlement. 

The  men  all  took  sly  glances  after  him,  and 
whispered  to  each  other  that  they  thought  there  *d 
be  a  fight  now ;  and  some  offered  to  bet  the  mate 
would  come  out  best.  The  captain  was  very  much 
the  mate's  superior  in  size  and  build ;  but  the 
latter  was  a  perfect  tiger  when  aroused,  and  was 


88  ON  BOAED   THE  ROCKET. 

just  as  fearless,  in  fact,  as  the  captain  in  his 
harangues  to  his  officers  pretended  to  be. 

As  soon  as  he  got  aft  tlie  captain  caught  a  glance 
of  his  eye,  and  his  brick-wall  plans  were  entirely 
dispelled.  In  a  conciliatory  tone  he  began,  "Mr. 
Morrison,  I  think  there's  no  need  of  your  getting 
so  excited  about  a  little  thing.  You  know  every 
one  has  their  little  ways." 

"I  know  you  have,"  said  the  mate,  "and  very 
contemptible  ones  they  are.  I  came  aboard  of  this 
ship  with  as  good  a  will  as  ever  a  man  had,  and 
meant  to  do  my  duty  faithfully,  but  you've  inter- 
fered with  all  my  work ;  you  stop  every  job  that  I 
get  under  way,  and  though  I've  been  twenty-five 
years  to  sea,  I'm  not  trusted  even  to  bend  a  jib  or 
brace  the  fore-yard." 

"  But  you  know  I'm  captain  of  the  ship,  Mr. 
Morrison." 

"  Then  you  ought  to  keep  in  the  captain's  place, 
unless  there's  nobody  below  you  that  knows  any- 
thing. But  from  the  first  day  I  came  on  board, 
you've  undertaken  to  do  my  work,  and  you  don't 
know  whether  I  am  capable  of  it  or  not ;  and 
you've  done  it  so  poorly,  I'm  ashamed  to  have  the 
ship  go  into  port.  I've  always  seen  a  captain  show 
some  respect  to  his  mate ;  but  you  never  have  a 
civil  word  for  me  on  duty,  and  your  silly,  lying 
stories  don't  make  up  for  it." 

"You  must  make  allowances,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain ;  "  you  can't  expect  a  man  always  to  be  smooth- 


ROPE-YARN  TEA.  89 

tempered.     When  Mr.  Jones  was  with  me,  I  —  " 

"Mr.  Jones  was  a  fool,  if  all  you  say  of  him  i« 
true,"  interrupted  the  mate.  '*  No  one  with  any 
respect  for  himself  can  make  allovrance  enough  tor 
you  ;  your  knock-down  principles  and  vile  language 
are  disgraceful." 

For  every  word  the  captain  advanced,  the  mate 
brought  out  two  dozen,  and  so  fast  there  was  no 
interrupting  him.  At  last  the  captain  found  a  re- 
treat by  noticing  that  the  sails  were  lifting,  and  he 
gave  tlie  order  to  brace  forward  the  yards  and  take 
in  the  lower-studdingsail.  Going  to  the  cabin  he 
for  once  left  the  mate  to  work  alone,  and  after- 
wards found  some  relief  to  his  pent  up  rage  by 
calling  the  two  boys  to  come  aft  with  a  watch- 
tackle  and  taughten  up  the  ropes. 

There  was  kept  hanging  up  in  front  of  the  cabin 
a  fathom  of  ratline  stuff,  doubled  up  and  seized, 
so  as  to  make  a  loop  for  the  hand  and  bring  the 
two  ends  together.  Slipping  this  over  his  hand 
and  shaking  the  ends,  he  called  out  the  ropes  to 
the  boys,  and  if  they  made  any  mistake,  or  were 
not  quite  lively  enough,  he  gave  them  what  he 
called  a  dose  of  rope-yarn  tea,  by  bringing  the 
"'  cat  "  down  on  their  backs.  This  treatment  made 
them  so  bewildered  and  frightened  that  they  made 
all  the  more  blunders,  and  half  of  the  time  got 
hold  of  the  wrong  ropes,  giving  the  captain  iin 
excuse  for  beating  them  to  his  heart's  content. 

He  found  this  such  a  good  relief  for  a  pent-up 


90  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

temper  that  lie  frequently  put  it  in  practice,  wlien 
galled  by  the  mate's  contempt  and  indifference, 
and  all  through  the  vo3^age  the  boys  were  made 
the  scape-goats  for  Mr.  Morrison's  sins  against  the 
captain. 

That  evening  the  captain  told  me  that  if  the 
night  was  fine  he  expected  to  sight  Cape  Spartcl, 
the  point  of  the  African  coast  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Straits,  before  morning,  as  it  was  mountainous 
land  and  could  be  seen  sixty  or  eighty  miles.  At 
2,  A.M.,  the  lookout  discovered  it  on  the  starboard 
bow.  I  went  into  tlie  cabin,  and  waking  up  the 
captain  said  to  him  : 

"  Cape  Spartel  is  in  sight,  sir ! " 

"  What ! "  said  he,  in  a  very  sharp  tone. 

I  repeated  it,  and  went  on  deck. 

Soon  the  captain  came  out  and  after  looking  at 
the  land,  without  addressing  any  one,  began  to 
swear  in  a  loud  tone,  saying,  "  I  expect  my  officers 
will  take  charge  of  the  ship  soon,  for  (3ven  the 
third  mate  undertakes  to  tell  me  what  land  we 
make."  A  good  deal  more  followed  about  "mak- 
ing them  know  their  place." 

When  he  had  gone  below  I  asked  the  mate, 
what  all  this  breeze  meant  ?  The  mate  asked  me 
what  I  said  to  the  captain  when  T  called  him,  and 
then  said  to  me,  "  The  old  man  must  be  raving 
because  you  said  Cape  Spartel  is  in  sight,  instead 
of  saying  '  there's  land  in  sight.'  " 

"  Well,  I  must  say,  he  is  stuck  up,"  said  I.    "  I 


OVEBHEiVED.  91 

asked  hi  in  the  other  day  what  the  longitude  was, 
and  I  thouglit  he  was  going  to  eat  me  up,  he  gave 
me  such  a  savage  look,  and  all  the  satisfaction  I 
got  was  the  information  that  it  was  the  first  time  a 
third  mate  had  ever  asked  him  such  a  question, 
lie  makes  so  free  with  me  telling  his  dirty  stories 
and  spinning  yarns  about  Mr.  Jones,  that  it  didn't 
occur  to  me  I  was  going  to  insult  his  dignity  by 
asking  such  a  question. 

'- 1  could  tell  him,"  said  the  mate,  "  that  he  is 
the  first  captain  I  ever  knew  to  spin  yarns  to  his 
third  mate.  His  dignity  begins  at  the  wrong 
place.  If  he  wants  his  officers  to  respect  him,  he 
must  show  himself  worthy  of  respect,  histead  of 
being  the  blackguard  that  every  true  man  must 
loathe." 

There  was  this  peculiarity  about  the  cabin,  that 
sounds  from  the  deck  could  be  heard  there  very 
distinctly,  and  as  the  mate  was  in  the  habit  of 
holding  forth  to  me  in  a  night-watch  concerning 
the  captain's  character,  that  individual  often  got 
the  benefit  of  it.  It  was  contrary  to  his  idea  of 
discipline  also  to  have  any  conversation  carried  on 
between  officers  on  duty,  and  only  a  few  days 
before  he  had  told  me  that  he  did  not  wish  me  to 
talk  with  the  mate. 

All  these  remarks  just  made  found  their  way  to 
the  captain's  opened  ears.  To  put  a  stop  to  it  he 
came  out  on  deck,  and  passing  by  us  walked  aft 
vvithout  saying  a  word.     Upon  looking  in  the  bin- 


92  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

nacle  he  saw  by  the  compass  that  the  ship  was  a 
point  off  her  course,  and  jumpiiig  to  the  rail  he 
drew  out  a  behiying  pin  and  struck  the  man  at  the 
wheel  two  or  three  blows  on  tlie  head.  He  then 
went  around  the  lee  side  into  the  cabin,  and  the 
mate  coming  aft  found  the  helmsman  crying,  and 
learned  the  cause. 

The  next  forenoon  brought  the  ship  into  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar,  and  the  interesting  scenery  did 
a  little  towards  relieving  the  ill-humor  which  had 
settled  on  all  both  fore  and  aft,  in  consequence  of 
the  events  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  The 
wind  was  from  the  eastward,  dead  ahead,  and  as 
the  ship  beat  from  shore  to  shore  through  its  length 
of  fifty  miles,  striking  and  constantly  changing 
views  were  presented  by  the  rugged  African 
mountains  on  one  hand,  the  more  fertile  Spanish 
hills  on  the  other,  and  ahead,  the  noble  and  world- 
renowned  Rock  of  Gibraltar,  three  miles  in  length 
and  1600  feet  high.  Its  outlines  well  represent  a 
crouching  lion,  an  appropriate  symbol  of  its  silent 
batteries,  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to  pour  forth 
destruction  upon  an  approaching  foe.  A  strong 
current  runs  almost  alwaj^s  from  the  Atlantic  into 
the  Mediterranean,  though  modified  by  an  easterly 
wind,  and  this  helped  the  "  Dublin  "  to  windward, 
so  that  at  night  she  passed  Gibraltar  looming  up 
high  and  dark  against  the  starlit  sky. 

That  evening  the  captain  tried  his  usual  panacea 
upon  my  moodiness,  I  being  the  only  officer  he 


WHERE  CHRIST   WAS   BORN.  93 

seemed  anxious  to  propitiate,  for  reasons  best 
known  to  himself.  His  conversation  comprised 
stories  about  "  Mr.  Jones,"  and  explanations  of  the 
^' philosophy  of  the  thing"  as  applied  to  currents, 
which  in  this  case  he  demonstrated,  that  as  water 
cannot  alwa3's  run  into  a  place  unless  some  runs 
out,  there  must  be  a  hole  underneath  the  Isthmus 
of  Suez  to  let  it  run  through  into  the  Red  Sea. 
And  then  he  evidenced  that  he  was  not  insensible 
to  the  influence  of  the  noble  scenes  and  historical 
interest  which  had  surrounded  us  that  day,  by 
remarking  how  much  of  a  charm  it  gave  to  sea-life 
to  visit  such  interesting  localities,  and  he  added : 
''  How  pleasant  it  is  too,  to  think  that  we  are  going 
to  visit  the  land  where  our  Saviour  was  born  !  " 

I  was  almost  as  much  astonished  by  the  fact  of 
the  captain's  mentioning  that  name  calmly  and 
soberly,  as  at  the  information  that  Christ  was  born 
in  Italy.  I  had  already  measured  his  stock  of 
knowledge,  and  had  received  many  similar  pieces 
of  information  before,  which,  knowing  the  captain's 
conceitedness  and  temper,  I  thought  it  good  policy 
not  to  contradict ;  though  even  my  usual  reply  of, 
''Is  it  so,  sir? ''  sometimes  aroused  his  ire,  as  im- 
plying a  doubt  of  his  correctness  in  making  asser- 
tions ;  such,  for  instance,  as,  that  Gibraltar  belonged 
to  France,  or  that  the  clouds  were  six  hundred 
miles  above  the  earth,  or  that  the  moon  had  no 
Influence  over  the  tides.  I  felt  inclined  to  try  the 
experiment,  if  it  was  possible  to  convince  him  of 


94  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

an  error,  or  rather  to  make  him  acknowledge  one 
—  a  matter  upon  which  I  had  great  doubt.  I  cau- 
tiously said :  "  Christ  wasn't  born  in  Italy,  was  he, 
sir?"  -r'^y-:..:.^  .,    ■  v.-  ;  .:.■.;•,. 

"'  Of  course  not,"  said  the  captain  ;  "  haven't  you 
read  the  Bible  enough  to  know  that?  I  mean 
Europe  ;  doesn't  Italy  belong  to  Europe? " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  I  replied ;  "  but  I've  always  under- 
stood that  Christ  v/as  born  in  Palestine,  which  is  a 
country  of  Asia."  >  ^^    . 

"  Of  course  he  was,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  know 
that  very  well ;  and  that's  just  what  1  meant  to 
say.  We're  going  to  visit  that  part  of  the  world 
where  Christ  was  born.  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa 
make  one  hemisphere,  don't  they  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  isn't  America  a  separate  one  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir:  one  is  called  the  Eastern,  and  the 
other  the  Western  hemisphere." 

"  OF  course  it  is,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  believe  if 
you  got  two  ideas  in  your  head  at  once,  it  would 
bu'st."  Re-  turned  haughtily  away  as  though  he 
had  convinced  me  of  the  ignorance  of  not  knowing 
either  where  Christ  was  born,  or  which  hemisphere 
the  "  Dublin  '*  was  sailing  in  ;  but  for  the  next  few 
days  1  heard  nothing  more  about  "Mr!  Jones," 
"  philosophy,"  Scripture  or  geography,  but  had  a 
good  share  of  harsh* sounding  orders  and  snarling 
rebukes  when  about  my  work,  ^nd  the  reason  of  it 
I  well  understood. 


JAKE.  96 

The  winds  were  rather  light  and  baffling  in  the 
Mediterranean,  and  the  ship  made  slow  progress. 
But  the  weather  was  charming.  Sea  and  sky  were 
of  that  deep  blue  which  is  world-renowned,  and 
which  make  this  sea  empjiatically  "  the  blue  Medi- 
terranean." Some  days,  so  clear  ^vas  the  air  as 
almost  to  impress  one  with  the  idea  of  the  vast n ess 
and  emptiness  of  space,  and  when,  commonly  speak- 
ing, the  sky  seemed  to  have  disappeared.  But  at 
evening  little  clouds  would  gather  about  and  lend 
their  bright  hues  to  adorn  the  sunset. 

For  a  week  after  leaving  Gibraltar  tilings  went 
on  quietly  on  board  ship,  and  I  had  great  hopes 
that  the  passage  would  end  peacefully.  But  it 
must  needs  be  that  offences  come  at  sea,  and  o^e 
more  row  had  to  be  passed  through  before  the 
harbor  ot  Genoa  was  reached. 

There  was  a  man  on  board  called  Jake,  a  power- 
ful "six-footer,"  and  one  of  the  best  sailors  and 
most  cheeiful  and  active  of  the  crew. 

One  afternoon,  the  second  mate  pointed  him  out 
to  the  captain,  and  said:  ''That's  a  good  man;  he's 
as  smart  as  a  steel  trap,  and  a  willing  fellow,  too." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  captain,  ''  I  think  he  is :  but 
don't  you  tell  him  so,  for  if  you  do,  it  won't  last 
much  longer."  ;     ,   •  :   «-       ^     . 

''  No  fear,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Howard,  "  I  don't  give 
compliments  to  sailors  very  often." 

That  night  Mr.  Howard  had  the  first  watch  on 
deck,  and  at  about  11  o'clock  the  wind  hauled  at't 


96  ON  BOARD  THE   ROCKET. 

a  little,  giving  opportunity  to  set  the  studding- 
sails.  He  gave  the  necessary  orders  at  once  ;  and 
Jake  was  the  first  one  to  get  into  the  rigging  and 
mount  to  the  foreyard  to  cast  the  heel-lashing  of 
the  boom  adrift.  He  was  not  ready  with  it  when 
the  others  came  up  with  the  ropes  to  reeve,  and 
the  second  mate  hurried  him  up  with  frequent 
phrases,  such  as.  "  Bear  a  hand ;  "  "  Let's  hear  from 
j^ou  there ; "  •*  What  do  you  say,  now?  "  and  then 
asked :  "  What's  the  matter,  there  ?  " 

''  The  heel-lashing  's  jammed,  sir,"  was  answered. 

"  Bear  a  hand  and  clear  it  then,"  said  he. 

''  Vm  doing  it  as  fast  as  I  can,"  said  the  man,  in 
a  sharp,  surly  tone.  . 

Mr.  Howard  was  not  accustomed  to  have  sailors 
talk  to  hiiu  in  that  style,  and  he  gave  him  a  round 
of  curses,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew  who  he  was 
talking  (o. 

Jake  made  no  reply,  but  worked  away  at  the 
lashing.  • 

In  a  little  while  Mr.  Howard  hailed  him  again: 
"  Are  you  most  ready  there  ?  "  ' 

No  answer  came,  and  a  repetition  of  the  question 
followed,  with  sundry  additions,  and,  as  the  officer 
thought,  embellishments. 

The  reply  this  time  came  in  the  shape  of  a  loud, 
clear  "No!" 

It  is  considered  almost  as  great  an  insult  to  an 
officer  as  a  man  can  offer,  to  omit  the  little  word 
"Sir,"    in  replying   to  him;  and   this  Is  at   the 


JAKE.  97 

bottom  of  many  a  tale  of  severity,  or  even  murder 
at  sea. 

Only  stopping  to  utter  one  oath,  Mr.  Howard 
sprang  into  the  rigging,  ran  aloft  and  swung  him- 
self with  one  hand  on  to  the  Ibreyard.  Jake,  seeing 
liiui  coming,  had  laid  out  towards  the  yard-arm,  and 
called  out  to  him :  "  If  you  strike  me  I'll  cut  your 
heart  out  I '' 

Ever  since  the  stabbing  affray,  Mr.  Howard  had 
enlarged  his  stock  of  pocket-tools,  and  now  pulled 
out  a  slung-shot.  GoiPig  out  on  the  yard,  he  stood 
on  it  holding  on  to  the  fore-lift  with  one  hand, 
while  with  the  slung-shot  in  the  other  he  attempted 
to  strike  Jake  on  the  head.  He  missed  his  mark, 
however,  and  the  shot  flew  out  of  his  grasp  and 
fell  on  deck.  He  had  on  a  pair  of  thin  and  well- 
worn  shoes;  but  with  these  he  kicked  the  man 
until  they  flew  off  his  feet  overboard.  By  this 
time  Jake  had  crawled  in  past  him,  and  started  for 
the  deck.  Upon  reaching  it,  he  picked  up  a  cap- 
stan bar  and  took  his  stand  with  it  over  his  shoul- 
der, until  the  second  mate  was  nearly  down  the 
rigging,  then  he  suddenly  aimed  a  blow  at  him 
with  all  his  force,  intending  to  knock  him  over- 
board. He  was  too  niuch  excited  to  take  exact 
aim,  and  the  bar  struck  a  ratline  and  broke  it, 
grazed  Mr.  Howard's  leg  and  broke  another  ratline. 
Mr.  Howard  jumped  upon  deck,  and  the  man  turned 
furiously  upon  him,  striking  at  his  head  with  the 
heavy  oak  capstan  bar,  and  swinging  it    about 


98  ON   BOARD  THE  KOCKET. 

him  in  a  most  determined  way.  The  second  mate 
dodged  and  retreated  aft,  closely  pursued  by  Jake; 
and  one  of  the  boys  was  so  terrified  that  he  ran 
into  the  cabin  and  called  out  to  the  captain :  "  One 
of  the  men  is  trying  to  kill  the  second  mate." 
Capt.  Streeter  never  slept  in  his  bed  at  sea,  or 
removed  his  clothes  at  night ;  but  always  lay 
stretched  out  on  a  sofa  in  the  cabin,  with  a  pistol 
near  him,  ready  for  a  call.  He  at  once  sprang  up 
and  rushed  on  deck,  and  there  found  Jake  swinging 
the  capstan  bar  from  side  to  side,  and  Mr.  Howard 
eluding  his  blows  and  making  vain  attempts  to 
close  with  him. 

"  Put  down  that  handspike ! "  shouted  the  cap- 
tain. 

But  it  swung  as  fast  as  ever;  and  the  captain 
now  showed  more  courage  than  Mr.  Morrison  had 
given  him  credit  for,  by  rushing  at  him  just  as  he 
swung  his  weapon  to  one  side,  and  seizing  it  before 
he  could  return  a  blow.  With  Mr.  Howard's  help 
he  wrested  it  from  him,  and  telling  that  officer  to 
hold  on  to  him,  he  seized  the  end  of  the  crossjack- 
brace  (a  two  and  a  half  inch  rope),  and  beat  him 
over  the  back,  until  he  cried  most  piteously  for 
mercy,  and  made  many  promises  of  future  good 
behavior.  This  did  not  satisfy  Mr.  Howard,  who, 
as  soon  as  the  captain  had  let  him  go,  put  his  brass 
knuckles  on  his  right  hand,  and  striking  Jake  a 
heavy  blow,  threw  him  to  the  deck.  He  then 
kneeled  upon  him,  clutched  his  throat  with  the  left 


GULF  OF   GENOA.  99 

lumd,  and  with  the  knuckles  beat  him  in  the  face. 
The  man  gasped  out  cries  and  entreaties,  saying : 
'^Take  him  off,  cap'n;  take  him  off.  Don't  let  him 
kill  me.''  And  at  last  the  captain  had  to  catch 
Howard's  arm  and  say  to  him  :  ''  I  guess  that'll  do, 
Mr.  Howard.     He's  got  enough  for  this  time."' 

Jake's  face  was  a  sorry-looking  object  the  next 
day,  and  for  some  days  after ;  and  he  told  the  mate 
he  thought  one  of  his  ribs  was  broken.  But  he 
kept  at  his  work  as  well  as  he  could,  and  always 
was  particular  about  answering  Mr.  Howard  with 
a -Sir!*' 

Things  went  on  again  quietly,  and  in  three  or 
four  days  more  we  were  off  the  Gulf  of  Lyons. 
The  prospect  of  soon  reaching  port  cheered  all  on 
board,  and  all  but  Jake  seemed  lively  and  even 
happy. 

We  signalized  the  ship  "  Martha  Dutton,"  Capt. 
Cheever,  when  a  day's  sail  from  Genoa ;  and  it 
immediately  after  came  on  to  blow  a  heavy  gale 
from  the  south-west.  Capt.  Cheever  was  an  old 
sea-captain,  and  adhered  to  the  prudent  rule  of  not 
approaching  a  lee  shore  in  a  gale  of  wind,  within 
less  than  the  distance  of  a  day's  drift  (say  sixty 
miles),  and  after  awhile  he  hove  his  ship  to,  and 
waited  for  a  better  chance  to  make  the  land. 

Capt.  Streeter  kept  the  "  Dublin  "  running  before 
the  wind  into  the  Gulf  of  Genoa ;  and  as  the  next 
morning  brought  a  head  vv^nd  when  he  was  in  sight 
of  his  port,  he  was  very  much  the  gainer  for  hia 


100  ON   BOABD   THE   ROCKET. 

attempt.  When  Capt.  Cheever  arrived  three  days 
after  him,  he  shook  his  head  and  told  Capt.  Streeter 
he  had  done  the  most  hair-brained  act  he  ever  knew 
the  master  of  a  ship  to  commit. 

The  "  Dublin "  had  yet  one  day  more  to  wait 
before  dropping  her  anchor.  The  head  wind  lasted 
until  she  had  beat  up  Avithin  two  miles  of  the  mole 
of  Genoa,  and  then  it  died  away  calm  and  con- 
tinued so,  with  occasional  light  airs  from  the  shore. 
There  was  no  anchorage,  and  as  the  ship  slowly 
drifted  from  one  side  of  the  bay  to  the  other,  we 
had  a  fine  chance  to  take  a  sea-view  of  the  renowned 
city  of  Genoa. 

It  is  situated  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Genoa, 
and  at  the  centre  of  an  amphitheatre  of  high  liills, 
which  rise  quite  abruptly  from  the  sea.  On  either 
hand  the  mountainous  coast  stretches  away  in  a  vast 
semi-circle  beyond  the  range  of  vision.  The  snow 
capped  Apennines  tower  behind  and  around  it, 
making  a  noble  background  to  the  beautiful  picture. 
The  city  itself  rises  on  the  steep  hills,  whose  tops 
for  seven  miles  are  lined  with  forts,  so  that  from 
the  sea  almost  every  street  can  be  seen,  and  the 
tall  houses  and  palaces  mount  one  above  the  other, 
giving  one  an  impression  that  a  slight  convulsion 
might  send  them  all  sliding  down  into  the  sea. 

The  harbor,  or  mole,  is  formed  by  a  sea-wall 
extending  across  the  semi-circle  made  by  the  imme- 
diate hills,  securing  anchorage  wh^re  the  vessels 
moor  stem  and  stern  with  their  own  anchors. 


QtrAHANTlMff.  101 

This  evening  as  the  sun  went  down  behind  the 
mountains,  a  scene  was  formed  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. The  beautiful  blue  sky  was  lit  up  l.>y 
brilliant  clouds  which,  reflected  in  the  still  waters, 
made  the  sea  almost  as  glowing  as  the  sky.  The 
mountain  sides  took  every  shade  of  the  darker 
colors,  while  their  snow-capped  peaks  blushed  with 
the  crimson  tints  of  sunset.  The  next  morning's 
sunrise  was  also  a  charming  scene,  but  with  it 
came  what  was  far  more  acceptable,  a  good  breeze, 
and  the  ship  was  pointed  towards  the  city.  A 
pilot  came  off  to  meet  us,  but  refused  to  come  on 
board,  as  the  healtli  officers  had  not  yet  ascertained 
whether  the  ship  had  any  infectious  disease  on 
board ;  but  he  told  the  captain  to  follow  his  boat, 
and  leading  the  way  into  the  mole,  pointed  out 
the  spot  in  the  quarantine  ground  where  she  should 
drop  anchor.  The  captain  went  ashore  in  a  boat, 
and  was  rowed  to  a  flight  of  steps,  which  led  into  a 
small  room  with  no  other  egress  than  the  door  by 
which  he  entered.  A  niirrow  window  opened  from 
it  into  another  room  whore  were  several  officials, 
and  one  of  them  approached  the  window  with  a 
pair  of  tongs,  and  reaching  them  out  took  from 
the  captain  the  ship's  papers.  After  smoking  them 
in  the  chimney  for  a  minute,  he  ventured  to  in- 
spect them.  Capt.  Streeter  was  then  ordered  to 
return  to  his  ship,  and  after  a  visit  from  the  health 
officer,  who  found  everything  satisfactory,  order 
was  given  to  air  all  the  bedding  and  clothing,  iQ 


102  ON   BOARD  THK  KOCKET. 

hoist  the  yellow  flag,  and  remain  in  quarantine  for 
three  daj^s,  when,  if  things  still  appeared  well  with 
regard  to  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  ship,  she 
would  be  permitted  to  discharge.  Capt.  Streeter's 
Yankee  energy  and  impatience  chafed  a  little  at 
this  delay,  but  in  spite  of  growling  and  swearing, 
he  had  to  remain  in  solitary  confinement  for  three 
days,  and  when  at  last  the  ordor  for  release  came, 
and  the  ship  was  allowed  to  take  her  place  in  the 
tiers,  he  went  to  work  at  discharging  with  an  en- 
terprise and  will  that  created  astonishment,  not 
only  to  the  Genoese,  but  to  all  the  fleet.  Every 
morning  they  were  waked  up  by  the  song  of  the 
crew,  as  they  commenced  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning  to  hoist  out  the  tobacco,  for  it  is  not  cus 
tomary  in  port  to  "  turn  to  "  until  six,  and  all  day 
long  such  choruses  as  "  Walk  along  my  Sally 
Brown,"  and  ''  Hoist  her  up  from  down  below," 
rang  over  the  harbor,  with  all  the  force  that  a 
dozen  hearty  negroes  could  give  them.  When  the 
"  shanty  man "  became  hoarse,  another  relieved 
him,  and  thus  the  song  and  work  went  along,  and 
in  a  fortnight  tlie  captain  astonished  and  vexed 
the  consignees  by  reporting  his  ship  as  all  dis- 
charged and  ready  for  her  outward  cargo,  whereas 
they  had  allowed  her  a  month's  time  for  this,  and 
the  intended  cargo  of  marble  had  not  yet  arrived 
from  the  quarries  at  Carrara. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

VOYAGE  OF  THE  "DUBLIN." — (Concluded.) 

GENOVA  la  superha  is  renowned  for  its  pal* 
aces,  but,  as  seen  from  the  harbor,  the  build- 
ings of  the  city,  apart  from  their  grand  and 
picturesque  location,  do  not  inspire  one  with  much 
admiration. 

After  a  visit  on  shore  to  the  palaces  and  churches 
I  was  so  charmed  with  what  I  had  seen,  that  I  was 
Beized  with  an  intense  desire  to  see  more  of  the 
renowned  wonders  of  Italy,  and  I  proposed  to 
Mr.  Morrison  a  plan  for  visiting  Rome,  and  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  it? 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  can't  go,  if  you  want  to 
Bpend  your  money  in  that  way,"  said  Mr.  Morrison. 
"The  cargo  is  all  discharged,  and  we've  got  to 
wait  two  or  three  weeks  for  our  marble,  so  I  think 
you  can  be  spared  as  well  as  not.    The  only  thing 

103 


104  ON   BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

is  to  get  on  tlic  right  side  of  the  old  man,  and  you 
seem  to  understand  that  pretty  well."    , 

The  next  day  with  some  fear  and  trembling  I 
made  my  proposition  to  the  captain,  and  excited 
the  breeze  I  quite  expected. 

**  I  thought  something  of  that  sort  would  be 
coming  soon,"  he  said.  "  I  believe  nobody  cares  a 
curse  for  the  ship  except  myself.  I  like  to  see  my 
officers  take  an  interest  in  their  vessel,  but  I  sup- 
pose it's  of  no  use  to  hope  for  it.  I  was  mate  of 
a  ship  once  for  two  years  without  setting  foot  on 
shore  but  once,  and  that  was  when  I  was  sued  for 
breaking  an  old  shellback's  head  and  had  to  go  to 
court.  I  never  knew  Mr.  Jones  to  ask  for  liberty 
all  the  time  he  was  with  ine.  He  was  a  man  who 
took  pride  in  his  ship." 

"  I  am  sure  I  feel  an  interest  in  the  ship,"  said  I, 
"  but  I've  often  heard  you  say  yourself  that  going 
to  sea  is  a  dog's  life,  and  I  don't  see  why  a  man 
should  be  blamed  foi  getting  clear  of  it  when  he 
can  do  so  without  occasioning  any  disadvantage ; 
and  in  this  case  I  am  sure  I  shall  not  be  missed 
much,  for  Mr.  Howard  and  Mr.  Morrison  both  say 
they  can  get  along  ^vithout  me."  - 

"  How  long  should  you  want  to  be  gone  ? " 
asked  the  captain.  ^^      ^     "  '. 

"  About  a  fortnight,  sir."  I 

"  Well,  I'll  give  you  a  week's  liberty.  You  may 
start  next  Monday  morning,  and  be  on  board 
again  the  Monday  after." 


ON  SUORE   IN  ITALY.  105 

**  But  that  wouldn't  give  me  time  to  visit 
ilome,"  said  I. 

"  1  don't  care  where  you  go  to,  but  that's  all  the 
line  you  can  have,"  answered  the  captain. 

The  next  day  I  went  to  the  Consul,  and  got 
lilm  to  procure  a  passport  from  the  minister  at 
Turin,  and  on  the  day  appointed  by  the  captain  I 
procured  tickets  through  to  Rome,  altliough  I 
found  the  steamers  did  not  connect  at  Leghorn 
and  I  should  have  to  remain  there  three  days. 
But  this  would  give  me  time  to  go  to  Florence ; 
I  also  knew  the  captain's  only  motive  in  limiting 
me  to  a  week  was  the  usual  one  of  discipline,  and 
1  felt  no  hesitation  at  transgressing  a  little,  if  the 
question  to  be  decided  was  whether  I  shoi'ld  see 
liume  or  not. 

1  went  to  the  captain  with  my  through  tickets 
and  told  him  that  I  should  not  be  able  to  return  in 
time.  He  relented  a  little  and  said :  "  Well,  get 
back  as  soon  as  you  can." 

I  took  this  last  remark  for  my  instructions  and 
starting  on  mj''  journey,  visited  Leghorn,  Pisa, 
Florence  and  Kome,  spending  eight  days  in  the 
Eternal  City,  and  rushing  about  over  its  ruins  and 
tlu'ougli  its  galleri^>8  in  a  way  that  astonished  the 
more  deliberate  tivvellers  whom  I  met.  On  the 
Beventeenth  day  I  ;igain  entered  the  harbor  of 
Genoa,  in  the  mornii  g,  and  being  a  little  in  dread 
of  an  explosion  of  the  aptain's  wrath  I  used  my 
knowledge  of  his  character  to   concoct  a    little 


106  ON    DOAKD   TEE   ROCKKT. 

plars  for  shielding  myself.  It  worked  admirably, 
I  had  made  the  acquaintance  on  board  the 
steamer  of  a  gentleman,  tlie  U.  S.  Consul  at  Ven- 
ice, and  I  invited  him  to  go  on  board  the  "  Dublin" 
with  me  and  take  breakfast,  assuring  him  of  a 
cordial  welcome  from  Capt.  Streeter.      .^  ^ 

I  walked  into  the  cabin  and  found  the  captain 
seated  there.     "  Good  mornings  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Oh  !  3^ou  3^oung  blackguard, "  the  captain  broke 
forth,  and  pausing  here  one  second  as  he  noticed 
the  stranger  in  uniform  who  had  followed,  I 
seized  the  chanee  to  say,  "  This  is  the  American 

Consul  at  Venice,  sir," 

"  Ah  !  how  do  you  do,  sir ;  I'm  very  glad  to  see 

you,  sir.    Welcome  on  board  the  '  Dublin  ;'  take  a 

chair,  sir,"  and  in  the  profusion  of  his  attention  to 

the  consul  the  captain  quite  forgot  the  "blessing" 

he  had  been  hoarding  up  for  poor  me  during  the 

past  week,  and  when  he  at  last  had  time  to  hear 

my  story,  he  only  said,   "  I  thought  you'd  come 

back  with  some  old  sailor  excuse." 

I  felt  I  had  earned  my  visit  to  Rome  at  a  cheap 
rate  after  all,  and  was  highly  pleased  at  this  finale. 
The  trip  made  a  good  hole  in  my  earnings  and  ai 
the  end  of  a  six  months'  voyage  I  found  myself  in 
debt  to  the  vessel. 

The  ship  was  now  taking  in  marble  in  blocks, 
weighing  from  three  to  five  tons  each.  These 
were  hoisted  on  board  from  the  lighters  by  a  large 
"  pontoon,"  which  had  a  great  pair  of  sheatis  and 


LOADiKG   AlAKBLE.  107 

iininense  tackle  at  one  end,  and  at  the  other  a 
wheel  and  axle  to  heave  with.  The  blocks  came 
up  slowly,  sometimes  two  or  three  at  a  time,  one 
luuiging  below  the  other,  and  as  they  swung  over 
the  ship  and  were  lowered  down  the  hatchway, 
tiiey  were  watched  with  almost  breathless  silence 
lest  something  should  give  away  and  let  them  go 
down  through  the  bottom.  But  the  five  hundi'ed 
tons  were  taken  on  board  safely,  and  then  the 
ship  tilled  up  with  bales  of  rags,  cases  of  olive  oil 
and  boxes  of  maccaroni. 

Capt.  Streeter  managed  to  pick  a  quarrel  with 
almost  every  man  in  port  that  he  had  dealings 
with.  He  always  seemed  to  act  on  the  supposition 
that  those  he  dealt  with  were  trying  to  cheat  him, 
and  was  not  at  all  backward  about  telling  them  so. 
The  consequence  was  that  he  was  always  in  hot 
water,  had  a  lawsuit  with  the  consignee  of  his 
cargo,  and  got  the  reputation,  as  far  as  I  could 
ascertain  from  those  who  had  business  with  him,  of 
being  either  a  fool  or  a  liar,  or  both. 

But  after  all  he  was  a  shrewd  man,  and  the 
result  of  his  bullying  and  lying  was,  that  his 
owners  had  a  moderate  disbursement  account,  and 
he  thought  that  would  cover  a  multitude  of  sins. 

His  special  antagonist  on  shore  was  a  Mr.  Pasa- 
niotti,  and  having  a  great  inaptitude  for  getting 
hold  of  names,  he  used  to  amuse  me  sometimes  at 
night  by  relating  his  grievances  during  the  day,  and 


108  ON  BOABD  THE  ROCKET. 

giving  vent  to  invectives  against  "  Mr.  Smashem- 
potter/'  *  " 

There  were  a  few  American  vessels  in  port. 
Every  evening  visits  were  exchanged  among  the 
ships,  and  each  officer  became  informed  of  the 
exact  character  of  every  ship,  whether  she  was  a 
''wild  boat,"  " workhouse,"  or  "good  ship;"  and 
of  every  captain,  whether  he  was  a  "  hard  ticket," 
"fool,"  "skinflint,"  or  "gentleman." 

There  were  three  or  four  regular  visitants  to  the 
"Dublin."  The  mate  of  the  "Eagle"  came  with 
long  yarns  about  his  captain's  daughter,  a  romping 
lassie,  who  had  a  flirtation  underway  with  five 
different  captains,  all  supposed  to  be  bachelors. 
The  second  mate  of  the  "  Example  "  had  curious 
tales  of  the  means  his  captain  was  using  to  make 
the  crew  desert  the  ship ;  and  others  brought  stories 
of  meanness,  tyranny,  or  debauchery,  which  made 
one  blush  for  the  honor  of  his  profession  and 
nationality;  while  on-  the  other  hand,  we  some- 
times were  favored  with  commendations  of  captains 
in  the  highest  terms. 

"  What  was  that  man  doing  hanging  in  a  bowline 
over  the  side  of  your  ship,  to-day  and  yesterday  ? " 
asked  our  mate  of  Mr.  Winthrop,  the  second  mute 
of  the  "  Example,"  as  several  of  us  were  seated  oii 
the  poop-deck  of  the  "Dublin"  one  evening,  wliile 
the  captain  was  on  shore. 

"  What !  did  you  notice  him?"  . 


DRIVING  SAILORS   ASHORE.  109 

"Yes;"  said  Mr.  Morrison,  "I'm  no  friend  to 
Bailors,  but  I  think  it's  a  shame  to  hang  a  fellow 
out  all  day  long  in  that  way." 

"When  he's  got  a  broken  back,  too,  eh?"  said 
Mr.  Winthrop. 

"A  broken  back! " 

"Something  or  the  sort.  But  Til  tell  you  all 
about  it.  We've  been  away  from  home  now  about 
nine  months,  and  the  sailors  get  fourteen  dollars  a 
month,  so  they've  got  near  a  hundred  dollars  due 
them.  Sailors  are  plenty  here  now,  and  wages  are 
only  twelve  dollars.  Our  ship  can't  get  a  freight 
at  present.  I  don't  know  how  true  it  is,  but  one 
of  our  consignee's  clerks  told  me  that  last  time  our 
old  man  was  here,  he  cheated  his  broker  out  of  a 
commission ;  and  this  same  man  is  now  doing  all 
lie  can  to  prevent  the  ship  from  chartering.  He 
gives  bad  reports  about  the  seaworthiness  of  the 
ship,  I  believe ;  but  it's  a  lie  if  he  does,  for  she's  as 
able  a  craft  as  there  is  in  these  waters ;  I  don't  care 
where  the  next  comes  from.  When  the  old  man 
found  he'd  got  to  stay  here  some  time,  he  wanted 
to  get  rid  of  his  crew,  but  the  consul  wouldn't  let 
him  pay  them  off,  unless  he  gave  them  three 
month's  extra  wages,  and  he  thought  it  would  be  a 
nice  thing  if  he  cod  Id  make  them  run  away,  and 
put  a  thousand  dollars  or  so  in  his  own  pocket,  or 
his  owner's,  I  don't  know  which.  So  about  a 
month  ago  he  began  to  work  them  up.  He  made 
us  cockbill  the  lower  and  topsail-yards,  and  then 


110  ON  BOAED   THE  ROCKET. 

the  sailors  had  to  scrub  them  with  a  piece  of 
canvas  and  a  bucketful  of  salt  water,  beginning  at 
the  lower  yard-arm  and  scrubbing  above  them  all 
the  time  as  they  crawled  up.  The  water  of  course 
ran  down  on  them,  and  six  of  them  he  made  us 
keep  soaking  and  steaming  for  about  a  week. 
This  made  most  of  'em  sick,  and  Saturday  night 
four  of  'em  came  to  the  old  man  and  told  him  if 
he'd  give  them  ten  dollars  apiece,  they'd  go  ashore. 
This  he  did,  and  made  four  hundred  dollars  out  of 
the  operation ;  and  I  tell  you  what,  if  ever  men 
earned  their  wages  those  fellows  have  done  it  since 
they've  been  aboard  of  that  packet,  for  they've 
been  worked  like  jackasses  day  and  night. 

"  The  next  week  we  drove  five  more  out  of  the 
ship  by  hard  work  and  poor  grub.  The  old  man 
was  greatly  tickled  by  his  good  luck,  and  he 
thought  if  he  could  get  rid  of  one  more  he'd  let 
the  rest  stay,  because  he  thought  the  ship  might 
get  too  bad  a  name  if  every  one  left. 

"  The  fellow  he  picked  out  was  an  English  chap, 
and  he  told  us  to  "  keep  him  going."  One  even- 
ing, after  we  had  knocked  off  work  and  put  on  the 
hatches,  I  sent  him  down  in  the  'tween  decks  to 
see  if  there  wasn't  a  stray  broom  left  down  there ; 
and  it  being  dark  and  the  'tween  deck-hatches  off, 
the  chap  walked  right  down  the  main  hatch  and 
fell  on  the  stone  ballast  in  the  hold.  We  heard 
bim  singing  out  blue-murder,  and  got  the  hatches 
off  and  hwled  Jiiiu  up  on  deck  in  a  bowline.     Ii<' 


DElvrNQ  SAILOES  ASHORE.  Ill 

said  liis  back  wai3  broken  ;  but  T  guess  it  was  only 
badly  bruised.  When  the  old  man  got  aboard, 
and  we  told  him  of  it,  he  tore  round  as  though 
there  was  something  to  pay  and  no  pitch  hot.  The 
man  wanted  to  go  to  the  hospital;  but  the  captain 
didn't  relish  giving  him  his  pay  and  three  month's 
extra,  so  he  let  him  Ke  in  the  forecastle  a  week 
and  have  his  back  rubbed  with  soap-liniment. 
But  the  man  swore  there  was  some  bone  out  of 
place  in  his  back ;  and  the  captain  got  mad  and 
told  the  mate  yesterday  morning  to  sling  the  fellow 
ill  a  bowline,  and  make  him  scrub  the  copper  all 
round  the  ship  outside.  I  wish  you  could  have 
been  aboard  to  hear  the  rest  of  the  fun,  for  the 
mate  stepped  up  to  him  and  said: 

" '  Capt.  Murphy,  I've  done  enough  of  your  dirty 
work ;  if  you  want  that  job  done  you  had  better 
ship  a  new  mate  to  do  it.' 

"-  The  old  man  cursed  him  a  few,  I  tell  you,  but 
the  mate  stood  his  ground,  and  at  last  the  captain 
told  him  to  go  to  an  unpleasant  locality. 

"'  I've  been  there  the  last  nine  months,"  said  the 
mate,  "and  got  enough  of  it;  so  if  you  please,  FU 
take  my  wages  and  leave." 

"-  You  don't  say  your  mate  left? " 

'"  Yes ;  the  old  man  tried  to  pay  him  off  aboard 
ship,  but  the  mate  said  he  wasn't  going  to  be  put 
down  on  the  articles  as  a  deserter,  and  he  made 
him  pay  him  off  at  the  Consul's  with  two  months' 


112  ON  BOAKD  THE  EOCKET. 

extra  for  himself  and  one  for  the  Consul.  I  guess 
the  old  man  won't  smile  again  for  two  weeks." 

*'  How  about  the  sailor  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  got  orders  to  do  what  the  mate  had  re- 
fused, and  I  wasn't  too  high-toned  to  do  it,  seeing 
I  want  to  get  put  in  mate.  I  pitied  the  fellow, 
though  I  don't  believe  he's  as  much  hurt  as  lie 
tries  to  make  out.  At  knock-off  time  to-night  the 
old  man  happened  to  be  aboard  and  the  sailor  came 
aft  and  said  he  was  willing  to  go  ashore,  so  the  old 
man  gave  him  a  few  dollars  and  he  cleared. 
We've  only  got  six  men  aboard  now,  just  enough 
to  keep  her  in  good  order." 

''We  got  clear  of  sixteen  men  out  of  our  ship 
at  Singapore,"  said  the  mate  of  the  "  Tempest." 
''The  whole  starboard-watch  left  one  night  bag 
and  baggage  and  not  one  of  us  knew  it  aft  till 
morning.  We  kept  'em  holystoning  and  scraping 
from  dawn  to  dark,  and  licked  'em  about  every 
other  day  on  an  average.  They  left  about  ninety 
dollars  a  piece,  I  believe ;  at  any  rate  I  heard  the 
old  man  say  he  had  made  $1500  by  the  opera- 
tion." .. 

''There's  been  a  law  passed  lately"  said  Mi. 
Morrison,  "  which  I  suppose  is  meant  to  put  a  stop 
to  this  driving  saiiors  out  of  ships.  When  a  man 
deserts  and  leaves  any  wages  due  him,  they  have 
to  be  handed  over  to  the  governnient  when  the 
vessel  arrives  home,  that  is,  after  taking  out  enough 
to  pay  any  extra  expense  the  ship  has  been  put  to 


DRIVING   SAn.OKS   ASHORE.  113 

in  getting  other  men.  The  wise  he<ads  in  Congress 
thought  that  if  they  could  prevent  captains  from 
making  any  money  by  it,  they  would  have  no 
inducement  to  run  their  crews  ashore." 

"  But  they  weren't  smart  enough,"  said  the  mate 
of  the  "  Tempest."  "  They  might  have  known 
that  if  a  man  is  rascal  enough  to  rob  sailors  in  that 
way,  for  that's  just  what  it  amounts  to,  he  won't 
make  any  bones  about  telling  a  lie  to  save  the 
stealings.  Now  our  old  man  put  down  on  the 
articles  about  seventy  dollars  paid  to  each  man, 
and  fifteen  dollars  expense  incurred  by  the  deser- 
tion, leaving  about  four  or  five  dollars,  which  may 
be  the  Custom  House  will  get. 

"  It  seems  rather  hard,"  said  Mr.  Morrison,  "  that 
a  ship  shouldn't  have  the  benefit  of  what  wages  a 
runaway  sailor  leaves  behind  him.  No  matter  how 
well  sailors  are  treated,  some  will  almost  always 
desert,  just  on  account  of  their  love  of  change, 
and  often  will  leave  a  little  money  due  them." 

''I  expect  it  is  hard  for  the  captains  to  make  up 
their  minds  to  pay  it,"  said  the  mate  of  the 
"Tempest."  "But  sailors  don't  often  run  away 
from  a  good  ship,  when  they  have  much  money 
due  them,  except  when  they  want  to  go  to  the  gold 
mines,  or  some  such  thing.  I've  seen  as  much  of 
this  driving  men  out  of  ships  as  most  men  agoing, 
and  done  a  good  deal  of  it  myself  too,  but  I  must 
say  I  think  it's  a  shame,  and  the  sailors  need  some 
protection  such  as  this  law  means  to  give,  and  I'm 


114  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

not  sure  but  this  will  come  as  near  to  doing  it  as 
anything  can,  except  abolishing  the  three  months' 
pay  law,  which  is  the  greatest  cause  of  sailors 
being  driven  ashore."  ^     ' 

Another  evening  three  or  four  mates  came  visit- 
ing, and  the  burden  of  our  conversation  was  lady 
passengers. 

"  It  is  always  bad  luck,"  said  one.,  "  to  have 
either  a  woman  or  a  minister  aboard.  I  never 
knew  it  to  fail  yet.  It  is  either  a  long  passage,  or 
getting  dismasted,  or  short  of  provisions,  or  there's 
a  terrible  row  in  the  camp.  It's  bad  enough  to 
carry  one  woman,  as  the  '  Eagle '  is  going  to  do, 
but  when  it  comes  to  taking  four  or  five  of  them 
and  two  missionaries  beside,  as  the  '  Tempest ' 
does  it's  the  very  mischief.  I  don't  believe  she'll 
ever  reach  port." 

''  You're  an  old  owl,"  said  the  mate  of  the 
"  Tempest."  "  There's  no  better  luck  that  can 
happen  to  a  ship  than  to  have  a  lady  on  board, 
mind  I  say  a  lady.  As  to  missionaries,  I've  noth- 
ing to  say,  for  I  never  sailed  wdth  an}^  yet,  but  I 
stand  up  for  the  women.  I'd  be  willing  to  go  for 
five  dollars  a  month  less  wages  for  the  sake  of 
being  in  a  ship  that  carried  them." 

''  Tell  us  your  reasons,"  said  Mr.  Howard,  "  be- 
fore you  expect  us  to  believe  you.  What  good  is 
there  in  having  a  woman  on  board  ?  I  don't  be- 
lieve there's  any  bad  luck  in  it,  nor  do  I  see  why- 
you  should  be  quite  so  enthusiastic  about  it." 


WOMEN   IN   SHIPS.  115 

"  ril  tell  you  my  reasons.  I've  a  great  opinion 
of  woman's  influence  in  keeping  the  edge  on 
men's  good  manners  and  principles.  A  crowd  of 
men  shut  up  together  on  a  long  voyage  are  con- 
tinually degenerating  into  barbarism.  They  need 
some  restraint  on  their  selfielmess,  and  a  curb  to 
their  brutal  natures.  A  woman's  presence  in  some 
measure  supplies  this.  The  captain  feels  bound  to 
respect  her,  if  there's  anything  of  the  man  about 
him,  and  he's  careful  how  he  swears  or  uses  bad 
language.  The  oflScers  take  their  cue  from  the  old 
man,  and  they're  not  as  rough  with  the  crew,  and 
the  sailors  in  their  turn  feel  the  influence  and  keep 
on  their  good  behavior  when  they're  around  aft; 
it  puts  Jack  in  good  humor  to  see  calico  fluttering, 
and  ribbons  flying  in  the  breeze,  for  I  believe 
every  true  sailor  is  at  heart  a  ladies'  man,  though 
he  may  not  have  much  grace  in  displaying  it. 
The  man  at  the  wheel  keeps  his  weather-eye  lifting 
when  she  comes  on  deck  to  take  an  airing,  and  has 
both  his  ears  unbuttoned  to  catch  any  of  her 
words,  and  when  he  gets  into  the  forecastle  he 
says :  '  Boys,  what  do  you  think  the  old  woman 
said  this  morning,'  and  then  there's  a  long  argu- 
ment about  it  all  dinner  time,  whereas  if  they 
didn't  have  that  to  talk  about,  they'd  be  growling 
about  the  ship,  the  work  and  their  grub.  The 
good  influence  has  begun  already  in  our  ship  just 
from  knowing  ladies  are  coming." 

"  How's  that,"  said  the  mate  of  the  "  Example/* 


116  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

"  Why,  my  second  mate  is  a  great  eye-servant. 
He's  as  mild  as  a  kitten  when  tlie  old  man's  out 
of  the  ship,  and  doesn't  care  whether  school  keeps 
or  not;  but  just  as  soon  as  the  cap'n  gets  hold  of 
the  man-ropes  to  come  up  the  side,  he  begins  curs- 
ing and  heaving  belaying  pins.  The  old  man 
steps  over  the  rail  and  says  to  the  captain  that  has 
come  on  board  with  him,  as  they  go  into  tlie  cabin: 
'  That's  the  boy  to  take  care  of  'em.  He  makes 
'em  toe  the  mark.'  Last  evening  the  cap'n  came 
aboard  after  knock-off  time,  when  the  men  were 
at  supper,  but  the  'shocking  dickey '  wanted  to 
shew  off,  so  he  went  to  the  starboard  forecastle 
door,  and  began  raving  at  somebody  about  leaving 
a  marline-spike  at  the  main  fife-rail.  The  cap'n 
heard  him  as  he  came  over  the  gangway  and  sung 
out:  '  There,  that'll  do  Mr.  Brown ;  we've  got  to 
knock  off  all  such  talk  as  that  —  we're  going  to 
have  lady  passengers.'  I've  sailed  with  the  old 
man  three  years,  and  that's  the  first  time  ever  I 
heard  him  find  fault  with  bad  language.  So  I 
think  I've  proved  my  case,  haven't  I?"        '      ^ 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Howard,  "  you're  a  good  cham- 
pion for  the  ladies.  You'd  do  to  present  their 
cause  before  a  meeting  of  shipowners." 

"  If  it's  such  a  good  thing  for  a  ship  to  carry 
women,  why  is  it  that  shipowners  are  so  down  on 
it,  and  they  so  seldom  allow  captains  to  carry  their 
wives?"  asked  the  mate  of  the  bark  ",  Vulture." 

"  One  reason,"  said  Mr.  Morrison,  "  is  the  extra 


WOMEN  IN  SItlPS.  117 

expense ,  it  costs  something  to  feed  them  on  a 
long  voyage,  and  they  must  have  more  d  unties. 
Another  is  that  they  sometimes  cause  detention  to 
the  ship  or  occasion  a  deviation  from  the  V03'age. 
Tiiere  was  a  ship  belonging  to  a  Boston  firm  that  I 
used  to  sail  for,  that  was  kept  waiting  in  Calcutta 
for  a  week  after  she  was  loaded,  on  account  of  the 
captain  becoming  a  happy  father.  When  the  news 
came  home,  one  of  the  partners  handed  the  letter 
over  to  the  other,  and  said,  '  What  do  you  think  of 
that?'  *  Think,' said  he ;  'I  think  we  won't  make 
baby-houses  of  our  ships  any  more.'  They  made 
the  rule,  and  after  that  captains  had  the  choice  to 
leave  their  wives  at  home,  or  leave  the  emplo3\" 

"  It's  a  hard  place  for  a  woman  on  board  of  a 
ship  any  way,"  croaked  the  "  owl "  again.  *'  It 
isn't  natural  for  them  to  be  shut  up  for  months 
with  a  crowd  of  rough  '  barnacle  backs,'  without 
any  of  their  sex  to  gossip  with,  and  no  chance  to 
go  a-shopping,  except  two  or  three  times  a  year." 

"A  ship  is  a  hard  place  for  anyone,"  said  I. 
"  Going  to  sea  is  an  unnatural  life  and  a  hardship 
to  everybody.  It's  pretty  clear  from  the  Bible 
how  its  Maker  regards  it,  for  there  it  is  frequently 
used  as  a  symbol  of  evil.  '  The  wicked  are  like 
the  troubled  sea,'  and  '  raging  waves  of  the  sea ; ' 
'  he  that  wavereth  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea ; '  the 
beast  of  Revelation  is  represented  as  rising  out  of 
the  sea,  and  we  read  in  the  description  of  the  per- 
fect state  '  there  was  no  more  sea/    It  is  not  good 


118  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

enough  to  be  allowed  in  heaven.  But  in  spite  of 
all  its  trials  and  unpleasant  features  we  all  like  to 
go  to  sea." 

"  Vast  heaving  there,  my  friend,"  said  the  mate 
of  tlie  "  Example."  '*  I  don't  like  to  go  to  sea,  and 
I  never  saw  a  man  yet  that  would  own  up  to  liking 
it." 

"  We  must  be  judged  by  our  actions,  not  by  our 
words,"  said  I.  "Sea  life  gets  people  into  such  a 
way  of  '  growling '  that  they  never  know  when  to 
stop  finding  fault ;  and  if  you  ask  them  about  any 
of  their  circumstances  they'll  generally  give  an 
unfavorable  account  of  them.  But  after  you've 
been  growling  about  sea  life  for  a  whole  voyage, 
you'll  get  on  shore,  and  in  three  weeks'  time  you'll 
be  fretting  to  be  afloat  again,  and  if  you  don't  find 
a  ship  pretty  soon,  you'll  growl  worse  even  than 
you  did  at  sea.  But  I'll  meet  you  half  way  and 
say  we  'prefer  to  go  to  sea,  in  spite  of  its  hardships. 
Against  these  we  have  the  offset  of  seeing  foreign 
countries,  the  excitement  of  constant  change  of 
place,  and  the  great  pleasure  of  arrivals  at  home. 
Now,  although  what  was  said  about  the  women 
may  have  some  truth  in  it,  yet  a  woman,  who  loves 
her  husband,  may  consider  his  company  more  than 
an  equivalent  for  the  privations  of  life  on  ship- 
board; and  then,  in  foreign  ports  she's  always 
made  a  good  deal  of,  and  gets  a  chance  to  see 
everything  that's  to  be  seen,  and  enjoy  all  the 
pleasures  of  foreign  life,  so  that  when  you  compare 


C?IPRALTAR.  119 

her  life  for  a  year's  voyage,  witli  the  hum-drum 
existence  she  would  lead  by  herself  in  a  small 
country  town ;  fretting  about  her  good  man  every 
time  the  wind  blew  hard,  being  the  only  excite- 
ment she  would  have  in  the  whole  time  he  was 
away,  and  I  tell  you  the  seafiiring  woman  has 
tlie  best  of  it/' 

"  Pretty  well  argued,"  said  Mr.  Morrison,  "  for  a 
youngster  that  knows  nothing  about  it." 

After  two  months  in  port  the  ship  was  again 
ready  for  sea ;  and  after  a  parting  growl  with  Mr. 
Smashempotter,  the  captain  came  on  board  with 
oi'ders  to  get  under  way.  With  a  fresh  southerly 
wind  we  sailed  into  the  Bay,  and  the  City  of 
Genoa  disappeared  astern,  just  as  the  sun  went 
down  behind  the  Apennines. 

Moderate  breezes  and  pleasant  weather  brought 
tlie  ship  again  in  sight  of  Gibraltar  ten  days  after 
leaving  port,  and  then  a  calm  took  possession  of  the 
Straits,  and  the  ship  lay  helpless  at  the  entrance, 
slowly  drifting  back  with  the  current. 

During  this  time  Capt.  Streeter  had  been  re- 
markably pleasant.  He  spun  long  twisters  to  the 
second  mate  and  myself,  chiefly  about  his  experi- 
ences in  fighting  sailors,  and  even  made  advances 
towards  favoring  Mr.  Morrison  in  the  same  way; 
but  was  not  very  successful  in  this  attempt,  for 
whenever  the  mate  detected  a  lie  or  misstatement 
in  the  captain's  narrations,  and  this  was  not  seldom, 
he  always  felt  it  his  duty  to  contradict  it,  whereas 


120  ON  BOAKD   THE  ROCKKT. 

we  appeared  to  accept  everything  as  gospel.  Noth- 
ing provoked  the  captain  so  much  as  to  have  hia 
veracity  or  knowledge  questioned,  and  this  course 
of  the  mate's  threatened  to  bring  on  a  relapse  of 
the  captain's  "  tantrums." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  day  on  which  we  had 
sighted  Gibraltar,  a  breeze  set  in  from  the  west- 
ward, dead  ahead.  By  nightfall  we  got  abreast  of 
the  harbor,  and  all  through  the  night  we  made 
short  tacks  across  the  Straits,  only  to  find  ourselves 
in  the  same  place  in  the  morning ;  and  in  the  next 
few  hours  we  rather  lost  ground,  as  the  current 
gained  strength  with  the  increasing  breeze.  So 
the  captain  abandoned  the  useless  attempt,  and 
came  into  the  harbor  of  Gibraltar  and  anchored. 

The  harbor  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  rock,  and 
is  protected  by  a  sea-wall.  On  all  other  sides  the 
rock  ascends  bare  and  steep  from  the  sea-level,  but 
to  the  westward  it  presents  a  pleasant  slope,  and 
on  this  is  the  town  of  Gibraltar  with  16,000  inhabit- 
ants, besides  a  garrison  of  soldiers ;  a  narrow  sandy 
isthmus  connects  the  rock  with  the  continent. 

The  next  day  I  had  to  go  ashore  with  the  cap- 
tain to  get  some  blacksmith's  work  done  for  the 
ship,  and  found  a  chance  to  take  a  hasty  glance  at 
tlie  place,  and  was  surprised  to  find  so  much 
verdure,  upon  what  I  had  imagined  was  wholly  a 
barren  rock;  but  to  the  south  of  the  town  is  a 
very  attractive  esplanade.  On  the  north  side  I 
stood  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  base  of  tlie 


THROUGH  THE  STKAITS.  121 


il 


rock,  and  looking  aloft,  saw  it  towering  above  me 
in  almost  a  straight  wall  of  1400  feet.  Througl 
port-holes  near  the  top,  the  black  muzzles  of  cannon 
pointed  to  seaward  from  the  excavated  galleries  in 

tlie  rock. 

Capt.  Streeter  was  told  there  was  no  chance  for 
an  easterly  wind  for  the  next  fortnight,  and, he 
must  make  up  his  mind  to  stop  contentedly  until 
he  saw  the  rock  "  put  on  it's  nightcap,"  as  they 
style  the  cloud  that  hangs  over  it,  as  the  certain 
precursor  of  a  "Levanter." 

The  prophets  and  signs  failed  this  time,  and  the 
next  morning  a  strong  easterly  breeze  was  blowing, 
and  getting  under  way,  the  ship  passed  through  the 
Straits  under  reefed  topsails,  and  was  once  more  in 
the  Atlantic. 

The  ship  was  bound  to  Baltimore,  and  the  dh-ect 
course  would  have  been  nearly  west,  but  as  westerly 
winds  prevail  in  that  latitude,  the  longest  way 
around  was  the  shortest  way  home,  and  the  ship 
was  headed  to  the  S.  W.  in  order  to  take  advantage 
of  the  N.  E.  trades. 

We  passed  between  the  Canary  Islands,  enjoying 
their  verdure  and  bold  mountain  scenery,  and  saw 
the  volcanic  Peak  of  Teneriffe  lifting  its  head  above 
the  clouds,  12,000  feet  from  the  ocean.  Then  with 
moderate  trades  we  ran  down  to  lat.  22°  N.,  and 
kept  along  to  the  westward,  having  beautiful 
weather,  but  rather  lighter  winds  than  the  captain 
expected. 


122  ON   BOARD  THE   llOCKET. 

The  short  detention  at  Gibraltar  seemed  to  break 
up  the  captain's  good  mood,  and  Mr.  Morrison's 
provocation  soon  brought  him  back  to  his  former 
role  of  '*  sea-devil." 

The  ship  had  carried  sand-ballast  on  a  former 
voyage  and  the  "  limbers  "  not  having  been  proj)- 
erly  cleaned  out,  vdienever  the  ship  rolled  heavily, 
the  sand  washed  to  the  pumps.  As  they  were  (Jd- 
fashioned  wooden  affairs  they  had  not  power  enough 
to  raise  it,  and  it  settled  on  the  lower  boxes  and 
choked  the  pumps.  The  vessel  leaked  a  good  deal 
and  we  spent  considerable  time  drawing  the  boxes 
with  the  pump  hook,  which  sometimes  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  work  through  a  foot  or  more  of  sand. 
Then  we  had  to  hoist  the  pump  on  deck  and  ram 
out  the  box  with  an  iron  rod.  The  captain  prided 
himself  on  his  skill  in  hooking  the  pump  box,  and 
whenever  he  heard  the  warning  sounds,  he  invaria- 
bly came  on  deck,  mounted  the  fiferail  and  took 
charge  of  operations.  His  patience  would  soon  be 
exhausted  if  not  successful,  and  then  his  profanity 
was  really  awful.  Every  conceivable  phrase  of 
bad  language  was  summoned  to  express  his  petu- 
lance, and  once,  when  baffled  for  a  long  time  by 
the  sanded  box,  he  rattled  off  a  string  of  twenty- 
three  words  which  haunt  my  memory  as  the  worst 
utterance  I  have  ever  heard. 

In  the  fine  weather  of  the  trades  the  old  ^uit  of 
sails  was  bent,  as  the  capiain  said,  "  She  must  have 
on  her  old  clothes  to  tar  down  in  *' 


HOW  TO  CLINCH   BUNTLINES.  123 

The  mainsail  was  bent  one  afternoon,  and  in  the 
inevitable  inspection  and  criticism  which  followed, 
the  captain  informed  Mr.  Morrison  that  the  biint- 
liiies  were  clinched  into  the  foot  of  the  sail  the 
wrong  way. 

"  How  so,  sir  ?"  said  the  mate. 

"  Why,  they  ought  to  be  rove  from  forward  aft," 
said  he. 

"  I  don't  think  so,  sir,"  answered  the  mate ;  "  they 
ought  to  be  rove  from  aft  forward." 

"  But  look  at  the  philosophy  of  the  thing,"  said 
tae  captain  ;  "  don't  you  see  there'd  be  more  chafe 
on  the  sail  your  way?"  i^  '? 

"  No  sir,  I  don't,"  said  the  mate  ;  "  the  philoso- 
phy is  all  the  other  way.  They've  been  bent  after 
your  fashion  before,  and  the  sail  we've  just  taken 
down  is  about  chafed  through  in  the  wake  of  the 
clinches." 

"  I've  heard  the  thing  argued  by  intelligent  men 
and  they  all  agreed  with  me,"  said  the  captain. 

"  If  you  want  to  have  it  done  your  way  of 
course  you  can  have  it,"  answered  the  mate,  "  but 
it's  wrong,  and  no  intelligent  man  ever  said  differ- 
entl3\" 

The  captain,  during  this  conversation  gradually 
worked  himself  into  a  furious  passion,  but  there 
was  something  in  Mr.  Morrison's  demeanor  which 
always  kept  him  from  giving  the  vent  to  his  rage, 
as  he  did  with  every  one  else,  and  after  the  con- 
versation had  been  continued  a  while  longer  in  a 


124  ON  BOARD  THE   ROCKET. 

isimilar  strain  to  the  above,  he  quietl}''  turned  away 
and  walked  towards  the  cabin,  but  as  he  passed  me 
he  muttered  in  an  audible  tone,  "  I've  never  been 
insulted  before  in  my  life,  as  I  have  been  hy  tluit 
man.'^  "■.■'■,",'  7v '"-"/' " 

He  worked  off  some  of  his  spleen  that  evening 
by  exercising  the  boys  with  the  watch-tackle,  and 
giving  them  a  bountiful  allowance  of  his  favorite 
prescription,  "  rope  yarn  tea."   :     '       ..   ^  ^ 

But  he  did  not  get  back  into  his  pleasant  mood 
very  soon,  and  he  snarled  at  and  picked  on  the 
officers  and  made  them  ugly,  and  they  relieved 
their  wrath  by  growling  at  the  crew,  and  the  men 
in  their  turn  got  cross,  and  pretty  soon  all  hands 
and  the  cook  were  in  hot  water.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  work  going  on,  and  if  any  of  Mr. 
Morrison's  men  blundered  they  were  very  apt  to 
get  a  rope's-ending,  and  if  Mr.  Howard's  men  were 
at  fault,  and  sometimes  when  they  were  not,  they 
had  to  dodge  their  heads  for  a  belaying  pin  or  stick 
of  wood. 

Sailors,  if  they  ever  chew  tobacco,  always  use  it 
when  steering,  and  some  can  do  without  it  at  all 
other  times,  but  must  have  a  "  chew  "  at  the  wheel. 
One  ef  Capt.  Streeter's  rules  was  that  every  man 
w^ho  used  tobacco  should  clean  out  the  spittoon, 
when  he  went  away  from  the  wheel.  One  fore- 
noon the  helmsman  said  to  me :  "  The  man  that  I 
relieved  didn't  clean  out  the  spit-box,  sir."  He 
called  attention  to  it  from  fear  of  being  taken  to 


CLEANING  THE  SPITTOON.  125 

task  for  it  himself.  I  asked  who  it  was,  and  was 
told  it  was  Jake.  I  was  about  to  call  him  oiit  on 
deck  to  do  the  job,  when  the  captain  who  was 
standing  near  and  hsard  what  had  been  said,  called 
to  me  and  said :  "  Let  Mr.  Howard  regulate  his 
own  watch.     Give  him  a  call  and  tell  him  about  it." 

The  second  mate  had  just  gone  to  sleep,  having 
had  eight  hours  on  deck  the  previous  night,  and 
when  I  waked  him  up,  and  gave  him  the  captain's 
message,  he  was  not  in  very  good  humor.  He 
understood  in  a  moment  what  the  order  meant,  and 
stepping  out  on  deck  he  saw  the  captain  standing 
by  the  weather  mizzen-rigging,  and  so  went  for- 
ward to  the  weather  forecastle  door.  As  he  passed 
the  galley  he  picked  up  a  stick  of  the  cook's  oak 
fire-wood,  and  holding  it  in  his  hand  called  for 
Jake.  Jake  turned  out  promptly  and  came  to  the 
door  to  see  what  was  wanted,  and  just  as  he 
stepped  on  deck,  Mr.  Howard  charged  him  with 
the  neglect.  Before  he  had  a  chance  to  reply  he 
aimed  a  blow  at  his  head  with  the  stick  of  wood. 
Jake  warded  it  off  with  his  arm  and  acting  on  the 
defensive  was  driven  aft  by  the  second  mate,  who 
aimed  blow  after  blow  at  him,  which  the  man  suc- 
ceeded in  avoiding  or  throwing  off.  He  was  driven 
aft  in  this  way  until  he  reached  the  cabin. 

A  sailor  in  going  aft  on  the  quarter-deck  is 
always  required  to  take  the  lee  side,  and  as  Jake, 
rather  against  his  will  it  is  true,  was  thus  trans- 
gressing rules,  the  captain  took  the  opportunity  to 


126  ON  BOABD  THE  ROCKET. 

come  to  Mr.  Howard's  assistance,  and  drawing  a 
belaying  pin  from  the  rail  he  stepped  forward 
and  said  to  Jake  :  "  How  dare  you  come  aft  on  the 
weather  side  of  my  quarter-deck,"  finishing  his  re- 
mark by  a  gesture,  which  brought  the  belaying  pin 
down  on  Jake's  head  with  great  force.  Being  now 
between  two  fires,  he  was  unable  to  defend  liimself, 
and  had  to  take  a  good  pounding  before  he  was 
released  to  perform  the  neglected  work. 

In  the  middle  watch  that  night  Mr.  Howard  was 
sitting  on  the  rail  leaning  against  the  boat's  davit, 
and  he  fell  asleep.  Jake  perceived  his  condition, 
and  vowing  to  one  of  the  men  he  would  push  him 
overboard,  started  towards  him  to  do  it.  The 
other  man  sprang .  after  him  and  held  him  back, 
and  in  the  little  struggle  that  ensued  the  second 
mate  was  awakened,  and  sung  out  to  them  to  "stop 
that  skylarking."  For  some  time  after  this  Jake 
was  punished  by  being  ordered  never  to  walk  on 
deck,  but  always  to  move  at  a  run ;  and  it  became 
a  rather  ludicrous  sight  to  witness  Jake's  half-gal- 
Icp,  as  he  careered  around  about  his  duties. 

Great  efforts  were  made  to  have  the  ship  look 
well.  The  rigging  was  set  up,  rattled  down  and 
tarred,  the  ship  was  painted,  and  every  morning 
the  crew  were  exercised  at  holystoning  the  deck. 
To  do  this  the  men  knelt  down,  sprinkled  sand 
and  water  on  the  deck,  and  then  rubbed  the  holy- 
stones to  and  fro  to  wear  the  dqck  smooth  and 
white.     The  stones  that  were  used  in  this  ship 


HOLYSTONES.  127 

were  of  the  shape  of  a  brick,  only  somewhat  larger. 

One  morning  this  work  was  going  on,  and  ilie 
second  mate  found  one  of  his  men  had  disappeared. 
He  picked  up  his  holystone  and  went  in  searcli  of 
liiin.  Just  as  he  got  to  the  forecastle  door  ihe 
man,  a  young  sailor  called  Dan,  was  just  coming 
out  on  deck  with  a  plug  of  tobacco  in  his  hand. 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  there  ? "  said  Mr. 
Howard. 

"  I've  been  to  get  a  chew  of  tobacco,  sir,"  said 
Dan. 

The  second  mate  gave  him  a  few  rounds  of 
curses,  and  then  struck  him  over  the  forehead  with 
the  holystone,  which  flew  into  pieces,  breaking  in 
the  middle  from  the  force  of  the  blow.  Dan's 
head  was  not  much  the  worse  for  it  though,  and  he 
went  back  to  his  work  apparently  unharmed. 

The  captain  came  on  deck  soon  after,  and  wliile 
overseeing  the  work  as  usual,  he  spied  the  broken 
stone. 

"  How  did  that  stone  get  broken  ?  "  he  asked  of 
Mr.  Howard. 

"  I  just  broke  it  over  that  nigger's  head,  sir." 

"  Did  you,  really  ?  He  must  have  a  tough  head. 
What  was  it  for  ?  " 

*'  Because  he  left  his  work  and  went  into  the 
forecastle,"  said  Mr.  Howard. 

"  That's  right.  Keep  'em  up  to  the  work ;  don't 
take  a  word  from  'em,  or  if  one  of  'em  dares  give 


128  ON  BOAKD  THE  ROCKET. 

you  a  black  look,  just  pick  up  the  cook's  axe  and 
split  his  skull  open  1 " 

All  this  was  said  in  a  loud  tone  for  the  benefit 
of  the  men,  and  the  second  mate  was  so  much  en 
couraged  by  this  endorsement,  that  the  same  day  he 
broke  a  deck-bucket  against  another  sailor's  head, 
who  gave  him  a  "  black  look,"  and  as  a  boy  was 
coiling  up  a  rope  in  a  larger  coil  than  he  fancied, 
he  sang  out  to  him:  V 

"  What  sort  of  a  way  is  that  to  coil  up  a  rope," 
and  hurled  an  iron  belaying-pin  at  him  with  all  his 
might.  It  missed  its  mark  and  made  a  deep  scar 
in  the  wood-work  of  the  forward  house.  If  the 
captain  did  not  value  his  sailors'  heads  very  much, 
the  same  imputation  did  not  apply  to  his  buckets 
or  the  appearance  of  the  ship ;  and  this  last  occur- 
rence was  so  manifestly  unjust,  and  resulted  more- 
over in  such  an  injury  to  the  house,  that  it  brought 
the  second  mate  a  mild  rebuke  from  the  captain, 
who  told  him  he  ought  to  be  careful  or  he'd  kill 
somebody.  He  seemed  to  forget  that  splitting 
skulls  open  with  the  cook's  axe  might  probably 
lead  to  that  result. 

All  these  affairs,  which  are  but  samples  of  many 
others,  made  the  mate  and  myself  still  more  un- 
friendly to  Mr.  Howard,  and  scarcely  any  conver- 
sation passed  between  us.  But  the  captain  seeing 
this  coolness,  befriended  Howard  all  the  more  in 
private,  though  one  night  when  all  hands  were  on 
deck,  he  got  so  furious  at  the  mate's  neglect  to  an- 


BEATING   A  BOY.  129 

swer  his  orders,  that  he  hauled  oflF  his  coat  and 
offered  to  fight  the  second  mate,  greatly  to  How- 
ard's bewilderment, who  thought  it  was  rather  poor 
business  to  do  all  the  "  captain's  dirty  work  "  for 
him  and  then  get  paid  with  the  abuse,  which  be- 
longed to  the  mate,  but  which  the  captain  was 
afraid  to  give  him. 

Howard's  cruelty  and  cowardice  culminated  in 
an  act  which  even  the  captain  had  to  condemn. 
One  of  the  two  boys  was  named  Taylor,  and  had 
formerly  been  a  servant  in  the  house  of  a  well- 
known  senator  in  Washington.  If  not  one  of 
the  brightest  boys  in  the  world,  he  was  one  of  the 
most  well  disposed,  and  though  he  had  felt  the 
captain's  "  cat "  on  his  back  pretty  often,  nothing 
seemed  to  interfere  with  his  good  nature.  It  was 
he  who  called  the  captain  when  Jake  was  attack- 
ing the  second  mate.      .      :  ^       - 

One  evening  at  clearing-up  time^  Taylor  was  sent 
aft  on  the  poop  with  a  broom  to  sweep  the  deck 
down.  But  after  sweeping  a  little  while,  he  rested 
his  broom  against  the  house,  and  commmced  mak- 
ing some  motions  for  the  benefit  of  the  man  at  the 
wheel,  which  seemed  to  tickle  him  very  much. 
Just  then  the  captain  happened  to  look  around  the 
corner  of  the  house,  and  spying  master  Taylor's 
proceedings,  he  put  an  end  to  the  fun  by  shouting : 

"  You  imp,  what  are  you  doing  there  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  sir,"  said  Taylor,  beginning  to  move 
liis  broom  very  assiduously. 


180  ON  BOARD  THE  HOOKET. 

"  If  that's  what  you  call  nothing,  Til  teach  you 
not  to  do  nothing  again  I "  and  taking  him  by  the 
neck  he  hauled  him  along  to  where  the  cat  was 
hanging  at  the  front  of  the  cabin,  and  taking  it 
down,  gave  Taylor's  back  such  a  dressing  as  it  had 
not  received  that  voyage.  He  was  amply  pun- 
ished, to  say  the  least,  but  not  enough  to  suit  Mr. 
Howard,  who  followed  the  boj^  forward,  and  getting 
him  forward  of  the  foremast  said  to  him : 

«  What  did  I  send  you  aft  for?  " 

"  To  sweep  the  deck,  sir,"  answered  Taylor. 

"  Yes ;  so  I  did,"  said  Mr.  Howard,  "  and  instead 
of  doing  it  you  must  go  to  skylarking  with  the 
man  at  the  whee^  The  'old  man'  has  licked  3'ou 
for  fooling  on  the  poop,  and  now  I  owe  you  some- 
thing for  not  doing  what  I  told  you  to." 

Without  further  words  he  struck  Taylor  on  the 
face  with  a  belaying-pin,  and  followed  it  up  with 
several  blows  in  the  same  place.  The  boy's  shrieks 
brought  the  mate  forward ;  but  by  the  time  he  had 
reached  the  spot,  the  damage  was  done,  and  the 
boy  lay  fainting  upon  the  fore-hatch  with  his  face 
covered  with  blood. 

The  worthy  mate,  as  soon  as  he  comprehended 
the  matter,  burst  out  with  some  expressions  more 
forcible  than  elegant,  and  said  to  the  second  mate : 

"''  Mr.  Howard,  there's  nothing  of  the  man  about 
you.  You're  a  disgrace  to  the  very  name  of  a 
man.  An  officer  that  would  treat  a  boy  like  that 
ought  to  be  keel-hauled." 


'      BEATING  A   BOr.  131 

The  second  mate  siicjiked  away  aft,  leaving  the 
mate  to  take  care  of  the  boy. 

The  next  day  the  captain  missed  Taylor  fiora 
the  deck,  and  hearing  that  he  had  laid  np,  sent  for 
liim.  He  appeared  with  his  face  so  swollen  and 
discolored  that  no  one  could  have  recognized  him. 
Ca[)t.  Streeter  was  quite  shocked  by  the  case,  and 
gave  him  proper  lotions  from  the  medicine-chest. 
He  took  a  private  opportunity  to  tell  Mr.  Howard 
that  he  had  been  rather  too  severe  this  time ;  but 
avoided  any  public  reproach  of  him,  not  wishing  to 
give  any  further  encouragement  to  Mr.  Morrison's 
hostility. 

In  all  this  time  I  was  getting  along  pretty  well. 
The  crew  had  fighting  enough  from  the  other  offi- 
cers to  keep  them  in  respectful  awe  of  "  the  powers 
that  be  "  without  much  need  of  my  using  my  fists 
against  them,  though  the  captain  kept  up  his  system 
of  alternate  persecutions  and  insinuating  stories,  all 
designed  to  make  me  such  an  officer  as  he  thought 
I  ought  to  be. 

The  mate  was  treated  with  all  the  contempt  that 
the  captain  dared  to  show  him,  and  his  naturally 
irritable  temper  was  by  no  means  soothed  by  this 
feature  of  his  situation.  I  sometimes  had  good 
proof  of  this  by  receiving  a  snappish  rebuke  for 
some  fault  or  omission  detected  by  the  mate's  keen 
eyes.  But  apart  from  a  momentary  exasperation, 
this  had  no  great  effect  on  my  spirits,  for  I  accepted 
such  occurrencej  as  the  inevitable   portion   of  a 


132  .     ON  BOAllD  THE  ROCKET. 

third  mate,  and  "was  only  thankful  that  my  share 
was  no  larger  than  it  was. 

As  for  actual  pleasure  in  the  course  of  my 
duties,  that  was  something  I  Iiad  learned  not  to 
expert  on  board  the  *' Dublin."  The  sole  idea  of 
the  ship  as  the  captain  endeavored  to  direct  it,  was 

•  work,  work,  and  every  job,  whether  of  putting  on 
a  seizing  or  Sweeping  the  deck,  was  to  be  done 
with  the  interest  and  thoroughness  which  would 
attend  a  matter  of  life  or  death.  Nothing  that 
was  ship's  duty  could  be  called  trivial,  and  if  a 
shaving  took  refuge  under  a  spare  spar,  escaping 
the  boy's  broom,  it  demanded  as  great  an  outcry 
as  one  would  suppose  belonged  to  one,  who  had 
scuttled  the  ship.  In  fact  it  generally  received  it, 
for  if  the  shaving  escaped  the  officer's  eye,  it  \\  as 
pretty  sure  to  meet  the  captain's  glance,  for  he  was 

;  very  particular  after  clearing-up  time  to  search  for 

something,  which  would  give  him  opportunity  to 

'  find  fault  with  his  officers,  and  show  them  they 

•  had  not  done  their  duty. 

.  The  second  mate  and  I  had  a  room  in  the  star- 
board side  of  the  after  house,  opening  out  upon 
the  deck.  The  weather  being  warm,  I  usually  left 
the  door  open  when  I  turned  in,  and  one  morning 
at  about  five  o'clock  I  was  awakened  by  a  tre- 
mendous string  of  oaths,  uttered  by  the  captain  in 
a  very  loud  tone  just  in  front  of  my  room.  "  That 
shows  the  ambition  of  my  officers,"  said  he. 
.  **  Nothing  can  be  done  unless  I  see  to  it  myself.     I 


A  l?ALT  FISU   BOW.  133 

believe  if  I  sliould  keep  in  my  room  one  day  the 

•  fc'.hip  would  go  clear  to  destruction,  (only  he  used  a 

more  explicit  name,)  and  he  went  on  with  minglctl 

curses  and  denunciations   about   the  ambition  of 

.  his  officers,  iii  a  way  that  made  me  tremble.  The 
occasion  of  this  displa}'",  I  learned,  was  the  falling 
ot*  a  bundle  of  salt-lish  from  underneath  one  of  the 
bouts,  and  it  happened  that  I .  had  sent  a  man  the 
evening  before  to  see  that  it  was  well  secured,  as 
there  was  an  appearance  of.  more  wind  coming 
during  the  night.  Being  before  the  wind,  the  ship 
roll*}d  a  good  deal,  and  the  salt-fish  fetched  away 

,  in  spite  of  the  sailor's  effort  at  securing  it.  There 
was  no  damage  done  to  the  fish,  but  it  showed  to 
the  captain's  mind  that  his  officers  had  no  ambi- 
tion, and  he  made  use  of  it  to  let  off  the  cross 
feelings  which  mates  know  as  a  general  thing  at- 
tend a  captain's  getting  up  in  the  morning,  and 
seem  to  be  a  sort  of  morning  bitters — an  appetizer 
for  his  cup  of  coffee.     All  these  things  gave  me  a 

;.  vivid  impression  of  the  meaning  of  the  phrase 
"  eternal  vigilance ;  "  for  no  matter  how  hard  I 
tried  or  closely  watched,  every  little  while  there 
would  be  discovered  some  job  which  a  sailor  had 
slighted,  or  a  gasket  would  get  adrift  on  a  yard 
while  I  was  busied  with  work  which  required  my 
whole  attention,  and  the  captain,  who  had  nothing 
else  to  do  but  look  for  such  things,  would  liappen 

*  to  spy  it,  and  then  would  begin  his  taunting,  aggra- 
vating remarks:  "Nobody  sees  anything,  but  me* 


134  ON  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

I  don't  know  what  they'd  do  without  the  old 
man,"  and  so  on,  in  a  way  that  sometimes  goaded 
me  almost  beyond  endurance.  When  the  captain 
saw  this  effect,  in  the  next  leisure  moment  he 
would  have  a  yarn  to  spin  or  a  word  about  home 
to  soothe  me  again,  for  he  seemed  quite  concerned 
about  my  ultimate  impressions  of  my  captain. 

I  philosophized  over  all  this  and  comforted  my- 
self with  the  reflection  that  it  was  good  training 
for  me  to  be  under  such  strict  surveillance,  and 
then  I  fell  back  upon  the  memory  of  pleasures 
which  nad  been  the  result  of  this  voyage,  my 
travels  in  Italy;  and  often  in  the  nightwatch,  I 
sought  refuge  from  my  intense  broodings  over  the 
captain's  tyrann}'-  and  harshness,  by  standing,  in 
imagination,  by  the  Coliseum  or  under  the  dome  of 
St.  Peter's,  or  in  gazing  with  memory's  eye  upon 
the  almost  living  figures  of  Raphael  and  Guido,  or 
the  statues  of  the  Vatican.  The  whistling  of  the 
wind  recalled  to  me  the  beautiful  echoes  of  tha 
Baptistry  of  Pisa,  and  the  inclining  masts,  its 
leaning  tower ;  or,  in  more  sober  moods  I  remem- 
bered my  sensations  as  I  stood  by  the  tombs  of 
Galileo,  Michael  Angelo  and  Dante  at  Florence. 

After  passing  the  longitude  of  Bermuda  the 
course  was  shaped  more  to  the  northward,  and 
losing  the  trades,  southerly  winds  and  variables 
took  their  place,  and  helped  the  good  ship  along 
still  further.    A  few  days  more, would  end  the 


OLD  JENKINGS.  135 

voyage ,  and  I  hoped  tlie  disagreeable  features  of 
it  might  prove  to  be  ah^eady  ended. 

There  was  an  old  negro  on  board  called  Jenkings, 
who  was  nearly  sixty  years  of  age.  He  had  been 
to  sea  a  good  part  of  his  life,  but  was  now  not 
much  more  of  a  sailor  than  when  he  first  started. 
Being  in  the  mate's  watch,  poor  Jenkings  was  hauled 
over  the  coals  every  day  for  some  bad  job  or  mis- 
take; and  the  mate  had  expended  more  words 
upon  him  than  upon  any  two  men  in  the  crew. 

Tlie  captain  was  very  fond  of  calling  Jenkings  to 
him  and  giving  him  an  errand  at  the  other  end  of 
tlie  ship,  telling  him  to  run  as  fast  as  he  could,  and 
the  captain  stood  and  laughed  at  his  movements ; 
for  his  feeble  legs  made  strange  work  of  it,  and 
though  they  moved  up  and  down  pretty  often, 
made  a  slow  business  of  forging  ahead.  One  day, 
while  watching  these  movements,  he  remarked  to 
me,  as  I  was  sitting  on  the  deck  near  him,  strap- 
ping a  block:  "A  man  would  be  a  wretch  that 
would  strike  that  old  thing."  And  I  remembered 
it  as  evidence  that  the  captain  had  some  tender 
mercies  with  regard  to  sailors  after  all. 

The  mate  never  went  farther  with  him  than  to 
pull  his  white  beard,  or  tie  him  up  in  the  rigging 
by  his  thumbs.  But  it  was  very  hard  for  him  to 
do  anything  to  the  mate's  satisfaction ;  and  every 
day  Mr.  Morrison's  shrill  tones  and  Scotch  accent 
were  bestowed  most  liberally  upon  old  Jenkings,  who 
always  received  his  rebukes  in  perfect  silence,  but 


136  ON  BOARD  THE  KOCKET. 

with  his  thick,  pouting  lips  stuck  out  beyond  their 
usual  great  prominence. 

In  crossing  the  Gulf  Stream  we  found  unsettled 
weather,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  case  in  the  region  of 
this  wonderful  current,  and  were  busied  in  taking 
in  or  setting  sail,  as  occasion  required.  The  cap- 
tain had  given  orders  in  the  afternoon  to  set  the 
cro'  jack;  and  having  just  had  a  dispute  with  the 
mate,  he  went  into  the  cabin  in  a  cross  mood,  to 
get  out  of  the  way  while  the  sail  was  being  set. 
When  the  work  was  about  finished,  he  was  just 
btepping  out  of  the  cabin,  as  I  sung  out  to  old 
Jenkings,  who  was  on  top  of  the  house :  "  Let  go 
that  buntline;  what  are  you  hauling  it  taut  for?'^ 

"Aye,  a3"e,  sir,"  was  the  response,  uttered  in 
rather  a  testy  voice. 

Capt.  Streeter  was  just  shutting  the  cabin  door 
at  this  time,  and  did  it  with  a  force  that  ex- 
pressed his  temper,  and  this  prevented  the  "  sir  '* 
from  reaching  his  ears.  He  sprang  to  windward, 
and  seeing  me  standing  by  the  mizzen-rigging, 
called  to  me:  "Get  up  on  the  house  and  knock 
that  old  nigger's  head  off ! " 

I  stared  at  him  in  amazement,  wondering  if  he 
had  gone  crazy. 

"  Get  up  there,"  he  repeated,  "  and  give  him  a 
rope's-end  over  his  back.  Don't  take  an  insult 
from  anybody." 

Instead  of  obeying  his  direction,  I  walked  towards 
the  captain  and  passed  him  without  saying  a  word. 


OLD  JENKINGS.  137 

Capt.  Streeter  saw  the  work  must  come  upon 
him  if  he  wanted  it  done  ;  and  with  a  few  bounds 
was  on  top  of  the  house,  and  snatching  a  rope 
away  from  old  Jenkings,  that  he  was  coiling  up, 
gave  him  some  vigorous  blows  over  the  back  with 
the  end  of  it.  "  Will  you  ever  speak  to  one  of  my 
officers  again  without  saying  '  Sir  ? '  "  said  the  cap- 
tain, as  he  paused  a  moment  for  breath. 

''  I  always  do,  sir,"  answered  Jenkings,  who  was 
wholly  at  a  loss  to  understand  what  all  this  meant. 

"You're  a  liar,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  few 
more  expressions  peculiarly  Capt.  Streeter's,  and 
gave  him  another  flogging. 

When  he  had  finished,  he  turned  and  walked  to 

the  edge  of  the  house  and  said  :  "  Mr.  A ,  if 

you  ever  let  a  man  say  aye,  aye,  to  you  again,  I'll 
serve  you  in  the  same  way." 

"No  one  ever  said  it  to  me  since  I've  been 
aboard  of  this  ship,  sir,"  I  replied. 

"  Yes,  there  has,"  said  the  captain.  *'  This  man 
just  said  it." 

"  You're  mistaken,  sir ;  he  didn't,"  said  I. 

"You  call  me  a  liar,  do  you?"  said  Capt. 
Streeter,  in  a  furious  passion.  "  I'll  teach  you  to 
know  your  place.  I've  treated  you  so  well,  you 
think  you  can  take  charge  of  the  ship ;  but  I'll  let 
you  know  I'm  captain  of  her  yet."  He  continued 
with  such  a  string  of  words  that  there  was  no 
chance  to  reply,  and  I  walked  forward  to  set  the 
fljing-jib,  leaving  him  to  talk  to  the  mizzen-mast, 


138  ON   BOAKD   THE  ROCKET. 

which  he  did  for  some  time  after,  to  the  edification 
of  the  man  at  the  wheel,  raving  and  cursing  about 
white-livered  officers,  religion,  sailors,  and  ending 
at  last  with  an  anathema  on  his  own  eyes. 

Two  days  after,  the  water  changed  from  its  deep 
blue  to  green,  and  the  deep  sea  lead  found  bottom 
at  eighty  fathoms.  The  wind  died  away  as  we 
approached  the  land,  and  we  lay  becalmed  for  some 
hours ;  but  at  last  the  ship  began  to  move  along, 
though  there  was  scarcely  a  breath  of  v^ind  to  be 
felt  on  deck.  I  Iiove  the  log  in  a  little  while,  and 
reported  to  the  captain  that  the  ship  was  going 
seven  knots.  He  would  not  believe  it,  and  told 
me  to  try  it  again ;  but  the  same  result  was  shown, 
and  having  occasion  to  go  aloft  immediately  after, 
I  found  a  fresh  breeze  blowing  there.  The  top- 
gallantsails  and  royals  were  pulling  hard,  and  the 
topsails  "stood  "  most  of  the  time,  but  the  "courses" 
were  hanging  up  and  down,  without  taking  a  breath 
of  wind.  '  '    ^ 

That  night  found  the  ship  again  in  Chesapeake 
Bay,  with  a  Baltimore  pilot  on  board,  having  been 
fifty  days  on  the  passage  from  Genoa,  and  a  little 
over  five  months  and  a  half  on  the  voyage. 

It  was  now  the  beginning  of  June.  The  weather 
was  mild  and  beautifully  clear,  and  a  pleasant 
westerly  breeze  enabled  the  ship  to  lay  her  course 
ap  the  bay. 

When  the  pilot  comes  on  board,  he  is  always 
supposed  to  take  sole  charge  of  the  ship ;  but  Capt. 


THE  pilot's  P.KBUFF.  139 

Streeter  could  not  bear  to  think  of  any  one  super- 
seding him,  and  so  kept  about  deck,  frequently- 
giving  orders  about  the  sails  or  yards.  The  pilot 
was  somewhat  surprised  by  this  conduct,  but  said 
nothing.  In  the  morning,  while  he  was  walking 
on  top  of  the  house,  the  captain  stepped  out  of  the 
cabin,  and  seeing  that  tlie  wind  was  a  little  free, 
called  out  in  a  loud,  pompous  tone :  "  Mr.  Morrison, 
set  the  forctopmast  studding-sail ;  "  his  manner  im- 
plying that  he  would  show  the  pilot  he  didn't  allow 
his  ship  to  go  loafing  along,  when  it  could  be  helped. 
The  pilot  kept  on  with  his  walk,  and  the  sailorj? 
rove  off  the  gear,  rigged  out  the  boom,  and  hoisted 
the  sail  up.  The  captain  promenaded  about  with 
a  self-satisfied  air,  scarcely  deigning  to  notice  the 
pilot.  But  a  minute  after  the  sheet  had  been 
trimmed  down  and  before  the  ropes  were  coiled  up, 
the  pilot  altered  the  ship's  course  a  little,  and  sang 
out :  ''  Haul  down  that  topmast  studding-sail !  " 

The  captain  disappeared  into  the  cabin  very 
suddenl}',  and  let  the  pilot  take  care  of  the  ship 
afterward  without  any  interference.  . 

A  calm  set  in  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  anchored 
off  Point  Lookout,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac ; 
but  in  the  early  hours  of  the  morning,  a  breeze 
enabled  us  to  get  under  way  again,  and  meeting  a 
steam-tug,  the  captain  struck  a  bargain,  and  the 
little  boat  took  us  in  tow  and  brought  us  by  Fort 
McHenry  into  the  harbor  of  Baltimore,  just  before 
the  sun  went  down.     As  much  as  twenty  miles 


140  ON  BOAED  THE  ROCKET. 

below  the  city  we  met  sailor  boarding-house  runners, 
cruising  in  their  boats,  but  refused  to  allow  them 
on  board,  and  the  refusal  in  each  case  called  forth 
a  volley  of  curses  aud  the  foulest  language.  When 
near  the  city  a  perfect  swarm  of  boats  had  collected 
about  the  ship,  hanging  on  to  her  channels  or  sail- 
ing along  by  her;  and  every  little  while  some 
adventurous  person  would  climb  up  the  side  and 
attempt  to  come  on  board,  and  if  refused,  as  they 
always  were,  would  use  most  insulting  language. 
One  fellow,  who  persistently  took  his  stand  in  the 
main  channels,  and  refused  to  get  into  his  boat, 
was  accosted  by  the  captain  with  a  belaying-pin ; 
but  he  coolly  drew  out  a  revolver  and  threatened  to 
blow  the  captain's  brains  out  if  he  dared  to  touch 
him.  The  pilot  cautioned  the  captain  not  to  quar- 
rel with  these  men,  for  they  belonged  to  an  organ- 
ized gang  of  rowdies  called  "  blood-tubs,"  and  his 
life  would  not  be  safe  on  shore  if  he  took  any  harsh 
measures  with  them. 

I  thought  Capt.  Streeter  had  attained  to  the 
highest  perfection  possible  in  the  use  of  profane 
language,  but  these  men  quite  equalled  him,  using 
epithets  and  comparisons,  shewing  that  human  in- 
genuity had  been  taxed  to  the  utmost  to  invent 
new  phrases  and  combinations  of  oaths. 

After  a  good  many  threats  of  murdering  the 
captain  and  officers  when  they  caught  them  ashore, 
they  one  by  one  pulled  in  to  the  wharves  and  left 
the  ship  unmolested.     The  next  clay  the  "  Dublin  ' 


PAYING   OFF.  141 

hauled  in  to  a  wharf,  at  Fell's  Point.  The  sailors 
had  formed  great  plans  for  sueing  the  captain  and 
second  mate,  and  anticipated  a  sweet  revenge  in 
this  way ;  but  unfortunately  they  had  arrived  in  ii 
slave  state,  where  a  black  man's  testimony  would 
not  be  taken  iu  court,  and  where  also  a  black  sai- 
lor could  not  be  discharged  from  his  ship,  unless 
some  white  man  became  his  bondsman  that  he 
should  leave  the  state  within  twenty-four  hours. 
So  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  postpone  their  re- 
venge to  the  indefinite  time,  when  they  might 
catch  them  in  New  York  or  Boston. 

A  tailor,  for  the  sake  of  their  custom,  entered 
into  bonds  for  the  men,  and  after  making  a  pretty 
good  bill  out  of  each,  shipped  them  by  railroad  to 
New  York.  '■ 

After  the  sailors  were  all  settled  with,  Capt. 
Strecter  called  the  mate  into  the  cabin  and  said  to 
him :  "  Mr.  Morrison,  I  suppose  you  want  to  leave, 
since  you've  told  me  you're  ashamed  of  the  ship." 

*'  I'm  not  ashamed  of  the  ship,  sir,"  answered 
the  mate  ;  "  I'm  only  ashamed  of  the  captain.  I 
like  the  ship  very  much ;  I  only  wish  she  had  a 
master  worthy  of  her." 

The  captain  brought  about  this  conversation 
hoping  that  in  their  last  interview  he  might  have 
the  advantage,  and  pour  out  on  Mr.  Morrison  some 
of  the  hatred  that  had  been  boiling  within  him 
since  they  had  quarrelled  off  Gibraltar.  But  the 
Bhi'cwd,  sensible  Scotchman  was  too  much  for  liim, 


142  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

and  lie  saw  that  if  he  got  Mr.  Morrison's  tongue 
into  full  course  he  should  get  a  greater  worsting 
than  he  had  had  during  the  voyage,  so  he  said: 

''  Well,  if  you  want  to  leave,  hand  in  your  bill. 
I've  had  talk  enough  with  you." 

"  It's  the  captain's  duty  to  hand  in  accounts," 
said  the  mate,  "  and  I  should  like  to  have  you  do 
it." 

Here  he  was  cornered  again;  so  he  went  into  his 
room  and  got  the  "portage  bill,"  and  paid  down 
the  wages  due  him  without  another  word. 

The  mate  then  packed  up  his  things,  bid  me  a 
hearty  and  feeling  good-by,  and  as  he  drove  away 
from  the  ship  his  handkerchief  went  up  to  his  eyes 
to  wipe  away  a  few  tears,  which  came  in  spite  of 
his  self-control,  as  he  thought  of  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  high  purpose  and  worthy  determination 
to  do  his  duty  faithfully,  which  inspired  him  when 
he  joined  the  ship,  and  the  disappointment  and 
hatred  which  marked  the  close  of  the  voyage. 

The  mate  being  disposed  of,  to  the  captain's 
great  relief,  and  a  deeply  muttered  curse  sent  after 
him,  Mr.  Howard  was  summoned  to  his  presence, 
and  received  the  reward  of  all  his  subservience 
and  brutality,  by  being  asked  to  remain  by  the 
ship  and  go  as  mate  the  next  voyage. 

"  I  should  like  to  go  with  you,  sir,"  he  answered, 
"  for  I  like  you  better  than  any  man  I  ever  sailed 
with,  but  J  don't   know  anything  about  naviga- 


tion." 


piiOMarioi:^  143 

*'  That  doesn  t  matter,"  said  the  captain.     "  I 

want  Mr.  A to  go  second  mate,  and  he's  a 

good  navigator,  and  if  anything  happens  to  me,  he 
could  get  the  ship  into  port." 

I  was  then  called  in  and  to  my  great  surprise 
was  asked  to  remain  by  the  ship  until  she  was  dis- 
chiirged,  and  go  next  voyage  as  second  mate. 

"I'm  much  obliged  to  you,  sir,"  I  said;  "but  I 
don't  think  I  should  suit  you  very  well,  and  I*m 
not  sure  that  I  shall  go  to  sea  again.  I  dare  say  I 
can  find  something  to  do  on  shore  that  I  am  better 
fitted  for.  I've  been  brought  up  to  act  as  a  gen- 
tleman, and  an  officer's  life,  as  it  is  here,  would 
force  me  to  be  a  very  different  character," 

"  I've  always  told  you,  you  know,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, "  that  you've  got  to  give  up  your  nice  notions 
if  you  go  to  sea.  But  you'll  come  to  it  in  time. 
I'm  not  the  worst  man  that  goes  to  sea,  and  if  you 
try  to  find  a  better  one,  you  may  jump  from  the 
frying-pan  into  the  fire.  If  you're  determined  to 
leave,  of  course  3'ou  can  go.  I  never  beg  anybody 
to  go  with  me,  but  give  me  your  address,  and  by 
the  time  we're  ready  for  sea  again,  I'll  write  to 
you  and  see  if  you  haven't  changed  your  mind. 
You  may  think  better  of  it  after  you've  been 
ashore  a  few  weeks.  I  want  you  to  understand 
there  are  plenty  of  second  mates  to  be  had,  and 
good  ones  too,  but  I've  taken  an  interest  in  you^ 
and  think  1  can  make  a  good  officer  out  of  you,  so 
for  your  own  sake  I'd  like  to  have  you  go  again," 


144  ON   BOABD  THE  BOCKET. 

I  went  home  the  next  day.  Mr.  Morrison  had 
preceded  me  by  one  day  and  had  reported  himself 
at  tlie  office  of  the  owner,  who  received  him  very 
cordially,  and,  giving  him  a  chair,  told  him  he  was 
very  sorry  he  had  left  the  ship  so  soon,  and  asked 
what  was  the  reason.     Mr.  Morrison  said  to  him : 

"I  left  because  I  was  not  willing  to  sail  with 
Capt.  Streeter,  and  I  consider  no  man  with  any  re- 
spect for  himself  could  sail  with  him  a  moment  lon- 
ger than  was  absolutely  necessary.  His  knock- 
down principles,  the  language  he  used,  and  the 
example  he  set  on  board  the  '  Dublin '  were  such 
as  would  shock  even  a  Water-street  bully." 

"  Dear  me,  dear  me,"  said  the  good  man ;  "  I'm 
sorry  to  hear  that.  I  don't  like  to  have  such  a 
man  in  my  ship.  I'll  talk  to  him  and  tell  him  he 
must  do  differently  if  he  wishes  to  stay  in  my  em- 
ploy. He  never  takes  an  officer  a  second  voyage, 
and  I  expect  something  is  wrong.  I'll  look  into 
it." 

Mr.  Morrison  went  into  no  details,  but  merely 
said  enough  to  excuse  himself  for  leaving  the  ship, 
and  having  apparently  satisfied  the  owner  that 
there  was  no  blame  attaching  to  him  for  not  re- 
maining by  the  ship^  he  bade  him  good-morning. 

When  I  got  to  the  end  of  the  story,  the  pas- 
senger gave  a  sigh  of  relief  and  said :  "  I'm  glad 
I'm  not  on  board  the  "Dublin."  I  think  I  prefer 
the  Brocket r 


CHAPTER  V, 


JOHN    SHEPHABD. 


AFTER  passing  Amsterdam  Island  we  gradu- 
ally turned  our  course  to  the  northward, 
and  without  any  delay  in  the  debatable  ground 
north  of  the  westerly  wind  region,  we  struck  the 
sou  til  east  trades.  One  evening  the  vessel  was 
slipping  along  at  the  rate  of  seven  knots,  with  the 
wind  two  points  free  and  the  sea  so  smooth  that 
motion  was  scarcely  perceptible.  A  hush  per- 
vaded the  ship,  that  seemed  indicative  of  as  much 
peace  within  the  vessel  as  without.  At  six  o'clock 
John  Shephard  came  to  the  wheel,  and  the  quiet 
sailing  and  steady  steering  inclined  me  to  break 
the  usual  custom — "no  conversation  with  the  man 
at  the  wheel."  "  She  steers  well  to-night,  does'ut 
she,  John  ?  " 

145 


146  ON   BOARD  THE   ROCKET. 

John  blushed  up  to  his  eyelids,  as  was  his  wont 
when  addressed  by  the  "  old  man." 

"  Yes,  sir,  she  steers  like  a  pilot-boat." 

'*  This  is  pleasant  sailing,"  1  added,  "  if  going  to 
sea  was  all  like  this  we  would  have  the  old  women 
for  sailors." 

"  It*s  the  pleasantest  going  to  sea  ever  I  saw," 
said  John,  "  and  things  are  first  rate  all  the  time 
now;  I  never  in  all  my  going  to  sea  knew  things 
go  on  so  well  in  the  forecastle;  we  don't  have  any 
growling  or  rows  w^ih  eacn  other,  and  if  thuigs 
could  be  like  this  I  wouldn't  mind  going  to  sea  all 
my  life."  -      v 

''  You  don't  expect  to  go  all  your  life  then,  I 
suppose?"  ' 

"  No  sir,  I  came  near  knocking  off  some  time 
ago,  but  I  had  bad  luck." 

"  How  was  that?  "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  sir,  I'm  most  ashamed  to  tell  you,  but  it 
was  this  wa}'' :  I  was  at  Bombay  in  an  English  ship 
when  the  Sepoy  war  broke  out,  and  I  left  the  ves- 
sel and  joined  the  army.  I  was  at  Delhi,  and  when 
we  took  the  city  I  went  through  the  palaces  and 
got  a  good  deal  of  plunder.  I  had  a  diamond  ring 
that  was  worth  two  or  three  thousand  dollars  and 
I  got  a  lot  of  gold  coin  and  jewels  that  I  sewed 
into  a  beJt  and  wore  around  my  waist.  When 
the  war  was  over  I  was  discharged  in  Calcutta 
and  engaged  passage  in  a  steamer  for  England. 
I  meant  to  go   home    to    Hanover,  buy   a  farm 


MY  MODEL   SAILOR.  147 

and  live  there  with  my  old  mother,  and  I  had 
money  enough  to  keep  us  there  in  comfort.  But 
the  night  before  I  was  to  sail  I  got  on  a  spree,  and 
the  next  morning  1  found  myself  lying  in  a  gutter. 
Somebody  had  taken  the  ring  off  my  finger  and 
stolen  the  belt  from  my  body,  and  I  hadn't  a  cent 
left  in  the  world.  So  I  had  to  give  up  going  Iionie, 
and  ship  before  the  mast  again.  What  little 
money  I  have  earned  since,  I  have  sent  to  my 
mother  ,  but  I  can't  get  ahead  any,  and  every  hour 
in  the  day  I  think  about  that  awful  night  in  Cal- 
cutta and  what  I  lost." 

This  explained  the  pensive  look  that  John  con- 
tinually wore.  I  was  much  touched  by  his  story, 
told  with  child-like  simplicity,  his  speech  with  its 
slight  German  accent  striking  musically  upon 
the  ear. 

John  was  my  favorite  sailor.  He  was  a  Han- 
overian by  birth,  and  I  suppose  had  some  German 
name,  but  what  it  was  I  never  knew.  "John 
Shephard"  was  the  false  flag  he  sailed  under. 
He  had  made  a  previous  voyage  with  me  and  after- 
wards sailed  on  a  third.  On  the  first  voyage  he 
had  been  selected  by  the  mate  as  the  scape-goat 
for  his  ill  temper.  Many  mates  who  aspire  to  the 
reputation  of  being  "bullies"  thus  pick  out  a 
good-natured,  inoffensive  man,  and  hurrah,  shout 
and  curse  at  him,  while  the  men  whom  they  know 
would  resent  such  conduct  are  treated  mildly  and 
their  faults  are  overlooked.    Soon  reports  came  to 


148  ON  BOABD  THE  KOCKET. 

me  about  that  *'  green  diitcliman,  John,"  "  a  per* 
feet  galoot,"  who  didn't  "  know  B  from  a  bull's 
foot,"  didn't  "know  enough  to  go  into  the  house 
when  it  rains,"  was  "  enough  to  make  a  minister 
swear,"  and  so  on.  He  was  sent  to  do  all  the  dirty 
work,  pound  the  v^on  rust,  slush  the  masts,  do 
"rope-yarn  jobs"alort  in  a  gale  of  wind,  often 
being  sent  aloft  without  any  explanation  of  what 
he  was  to  do,  and  when  he  got  above  the  top  where 
he  could  scarcely  hear,  a  volley  of  orders  and 
abuse  was  yelled  at  him  with  bewildering  effect. 
He  certainly  at  such  times  did  seem  stupid,  but  all 
through  the  voyage  I  saw  no  resentment  shown, 
heard  no  "  back  answers  "  and  only  noticed  the 
flush  of  the  cheek  that  betraj^ed  the  wounded 
spirit  he  so  submissively  controlled.  I  began  to 
love  that  quiet,  faithful  sailor  and  to  protect  him 
from  abuse  whenever  I  could  do  so  without  disor- 
ganizing discipline. 

On  the  present  voyage  I  noticed  that  John  was 
always  placed  at  the  best  work.  If  a  cringle  was 
to  be  put  in  a  sail,  or  a  cloth  let  in,  a  seizing  to  be 
squared,  or  a  ratline  to  be  straightened,  John  was 
called  on  oftener  than  anyone  else  to  do  it.  I 
asked  the  mate  one  day :  "  How  is  it  you  put  John 
at  such  good  jobs ;  do  you  consider  him  a  good 
sailor-man? "  S 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  mate  ;  "  he's  just  as  good  a 
sailor-man  as  there  is  in  the  crew.  It  doesn't  do  to 
watch  him  too  closely  though.    If  I  stand  over 


MY  MODEL   SATLOB.  149 

him  he  often  gets  flustered  and  does  things  back- 
handed, but  let  him  try  his  own  way  and  he'll  do 
things  shipshape." 

I  was  delighted  to  hear  a  good  word  spoken  for 
John,  and  thought  much  better  of  the  mate  for 
his  perception  and  wise  dealing.  Often  have  I 
said :  "  If  all  sailors  were  like  John  it  would  be  only 
a  pleasure  to  go  to  sea."  He  lives  in  my  memory 
as  my  model  sailor,  in    spite   of  his  deficiencies. 

He  was  a  well-formed  man,  of  medium  size, 
straight  and  compact,  with  light,  curly  hair,  good 
features,  a  very  clean  face  with  rosy  cheeks,  and 
blue  eyes  that  were  really  beautiful  in  their  soft 
expression.  His  clieerful  smile  and  modest  blush 
made  it  a  pleasure  to  accost  him.  He  was  always 
neat  in  his  dress,  and  though  four  bells  struck 
when  he  was  riding  down  a  stay  "  up  to  his  eyes  " 
in  tar,  he  would  dive  into  the  forecastle  and  in  a 
few  minutes  appear  to  take  his  trick  at  the  wheel 
with  clean  dungaree  pants  and  hickory  shirt.  As 
his  clear  voice  repeated  the  course,  "  Nord,  nord- 
east,  half  east,"  I  would  go  below  saying  to  myself, 
*'  The  ship  will  be  well  steered  these  two  houi's." 

Where  is  John  now  ?  Has  he  bought  his  farm 
yet  in  the  Faderland  ?  Or  has  he  fallen  over  board, 
or  died  in  a  foreign  hospital  ?  Has  he  been  dis- 
heartened by  the  harsh  treatment  of  cruel  mates 
and  become  degraded  in  his  habits  on  shoie  ?  May 
God  bless  him  wherever  he  is,  and  through  all  his 
wanderings  bring  him  safely  to  the  Fatherland  I 


160  ON  BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

We  attempted  a  Christmas  dinner  in  the  cabin, 
while  the  sailors  had  their  plum  duff  in  honor  of 
the  festival.  Our  table  bore  a  goodly  display  of 
articles,  as  regards  name,  but  probably  their  qual- 
ity would  be  less  attractive  to  landsmen's  palates. 
We  dressed  in  our  "  shore  togs ;  "  appropriate  sen- 
timents were  uttered,  and  an  original  ode  was  re- 
cited, as  follows : 

ODE  TO  THE  ROCKET. 

tuixk:  ^*  Van  Amburgh^ 8  Menagerie.** 

The  iJocfce^  ifl  our  vessel's  name, 
,  A  noble  Boston  bark. 

Her  qualities  are  known  to  fame, 

As  I  need  not  remark. 
For  fourteen  years  she's  ploughed  the  wave, 
And  sailed  through  every  clime; 
c  Though  billows  roar  and  tempests  rare,    . 

.  '        She  always  comes  to  time. 

C/ioru«:  The  Uocfcei  now  we'll  praise, 
For  she's  as  good  a  craft 
:  As  ever  dashed  aside  the  sprays 

Or  at  the  storm-king  laughed. 


The  captain,  first  and  second  mate, 

A  passenger  beside. 
Are  lads  as  true  as  ever  ate 

Plum  duff  upon  the  tide. 
The  Straits  of  Sunda  is  our  goal 

To  which  we're  speeding  free; 


ODE  TO   THE  KOCKET.  161 

And  now  we  fill  Ibe  flowing  bowl 
Tolife  upon  the  sea. 

Chorus :  Here  comes  the  fiery  Rocket 

With  sportsmen  smart  and  gay; 
If  birds  would  not  be  shot  at 
They'd  better  keep  away. 

When  with  fresh  wind  and  flowing  sheet 

We're  flying  through  the  foam, 
Our  hearts  with  joy  and  'gladness  beat, 

As  round  the  world  we  roam. 
Or  in  the  calm  and  tropic  night, 

The  stars  recall  to  mind 
The  eyes,  as  beautiful  and  brigh* 

Of  girls  we've  left  behind. 

Chorus :  Speed  on  thou  noble  Boeket  i 
Until  the  voyage  ends, 
And  our  good  fortune  brings  us 
Once  more  to  home  and  friends* 

Roll  on  ye  waves,  ye  breezes  blow, 

Swift  speed  us  on  our  course, 
And  soon  to  Asia's  shores  we'll  show 

The  Ensign  and  Black  Horse.* 
And  when  we  step  on  Java's  strand, 

Our  double  toast  shall  be 
The  glorious  old  bark  Rocket j  and 

The  Romance  of  the  sea. 

Chorus:  The  Rocket  now  we'll  praise, 
For  she's  as  good  a  craft 
As  ever  dashed  aside  the  sprays, 
-    -  -  Or  at  the  storm-king  laughed. 

•The  owners*  private  signal. 


152  ON    BOAllD  THE  IIOCKET. 

The  vessel  had  received  a  Ubcral  outfit  from  the 
owners,  who  expressed  the  wish  that  the  sailors 
should  not  be  restricted  to  a  diet  of  salt  beef  and 
liard  bread,  believing  this  to  be  the  most  expensive 
way  of  provisioning  a  ship,  as  well  as  an  unsatis- 
factory one  to  the  crew.  Accordingly  the  men 
were  allowed  "  soft  bread  "  every  night ;  there  was 
a  good  supply  of  potatoes,  onions,  and  beets  on 
board,  and  mackerel,  herrings,  tongues  and  sounds, 
dried  apples,  corn  meal,  and  pickles  were  provided, 
in  addition  to  the  usual  supplies  of  rice,  beans, 
split  peas,  salt  codfish  and  the  inevitable  beef,  pork, 
and  "  hard-tack."  Molasses  and  vinegar  weie 
freely  served  out,  these  condiments  often  making  a 
plain  meal  quite  palatable,  and  one  evening  in  a 
week  molasses  ginger-bread  was  furnished  in  place 
of  the  "  soft  bread."  In  the  cabin  we  had  a  toler- 
able supply  of  canned  provisions  and  had  no  reason 
to  complain.  I  find,  however,  the  following  entry 
in  my  journal : 

"  I  feel  a  strong  desire  to  get  ashore  and  have 
something  new  to  eat.  We  have  a  good  supply  of 
stores,  but  there  is  so  much  sameness  necessarily  in 
our  table  fare,  that  the  very  thought  of  meal  times 
takes  away  one's  appetite.  We  had  a  large  stock 
of  vegetables  and  still  have  potatoes,  onions  and 
beets,  so  there  is  no  fear  of  scurvy.  I  have  some- 
times said  that  the  only  advantage  I  ever  discov- 
ered in  going  to  sea,  was  the  ability  to  eat  onions, 
without  fear  of  offending  one's    associates.    But 


DOUBTFUL  ISLANDS.  153 

after  indulgence  in  this  respect  every  day  for  three 
montlis,  I  feel  willing  to  renounce  this  luxurious 
privilege  of  sea  life,  and  endure  the  privations  of 
civilized  society  for  a  while." 

Very  small  incidents  become  noteworthy  at  sea 
and  one  day  was  enlivened  by  the  appearance  of 
the  Malay  cabin  boy  before  me,  with  very  solemn 
face,  exclaiming,  in  tragic  tones :  "  Sir !  the  ginger 
Wvon't  live  long."  It  proved  that  a  jar  of  preserved 
ginger,  having  been  left  open  in  the  pantry,  the 
oflBcers  had  treated  themselves  in  a  night-watch, 
thus  fc^hortening  its  life. 

Some  little  anxiety  was  caused  by  some  doubt- 
ful islands  being  set  down  on  the  chart,  but  we 
sailed  over  their  supposed  locality  without  striking 
anything,  or  seeing  any  sign  of  shoal  water. 

Those  who  have  examined  charts  of  the  sea, 
have  noticed  frequent  interrogation  points,  which 
indicate  that  dangers  have  been  reported  in  the 
localities  designated.  The  charts  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean  especially  abound  with  these  reputed  rocks 
and  shoals,  and  keep  the  navigator  in  continual 
alarm,  lest  one  should  prove  to  be  a  reality.  It 
was  a  wonder  to  me  how  these  false  alarms,  as 
most  of  them  are  now  known  to  be,  could  ever 
have  been  given,  but  an  occurrence,  by  which  I 
myself  was  deceived,  has  suggested  a  plausible  ex- 
planation of  some  of  the  instances.         -^     ^^- 

I  was  sailing  in  the  South  Pacific  (in  the  ship 
"California,")  in  lat.  24^  20' south,  Ion.  125"  6' 


154  ON  BOAllD  TKB  KOOKBT. 

west.  We  were  steering  south,  with  the  wind 
north,  the  sky  clear,  and  the  ship  going  about  two 
knots  through  the  water.  At  1,  p.  m.,  the  officer  of 
tlie  deck  reported  to  me  that  there  were  breakers 
ahead,  and  on  the  port  bow.  I  went  on  deck,  and 
saw  what  appeared  to  be  an  extensive  field  of 
breakers,  and  also  a  low  island  or  sand  bank,  thirty 
feet  high,  and  three  miles  long,  without  trees  or 
verdure,  and  with  shoals,  on  which  the  sea  broke, 
extending  five  miles  from  it  to  the  north  and  west. 
The  island  bore  southeast,  eight  miles  distant, 
and  the  nearest  breakers  were  two  and  one  half  or 
three  miles  distant  from  the  vessel. 

The  mate  went  aloft  with  me  to  the  mizzen-top- 
sail  yard,  and  with  my  marine  glass  we  took  a 
good  look,  and  were  both  entirely  convinced  that 
what  we  saw  were  genuine  breakers.  The  sea  was 
very  smooth  and  we  could  see  the  swell  rolling 
towards  us,  then  cresting,  and  spreading  thin 
sheets  of  foam  upon  the  water.  The  island  also 
appeared  very  distinct  as  seen  through  the  glass. 
I  went  down  on  deck  with  the  intention  of  alter- 
ing the  ship's  course,  but  deciding  to  run  a  little 
nearer  to  the  breakers,  I  went  up  to  the  foretopsail 
yard  to  watch  them  and  steer  the  ship  past  them. 
I  soon  noticed  that  they  changed  their  position 
somewhat,  that  the  ship  drew  no  nearer  to  them, 
and  that  there  was  a  perfect  calm  where  they  pre- 
vailed. Finally  I  found  the  whole  appearance  was 
an  optical  delusion,  caused   by  the  sun    shining 


DOUBTFUL   ISLANDS.  155 

upon  the  glassy  swell  of  the  sea,  and  a  peculiar 
state  of  atmospheric  refraction. 

I  kept  the  ship  on  her  course,  and  sailed  through 
the  spot  where  the  first  breakers  appeared,  finding 
blue  water  there,  but  still  observing  the  breakers 
in  the  calm  spots  at  varying  distances  for  the  next 
three  hours,  until  4,  P.  M.,  when  the  breeze  fresh- 
ened at  the  west,  and  the  illusion  was  dispelled. 
The  island  vanished  after  being  in  sight  for  an 
hour,  and  I  presume  was  caused  by  the  looming  of 
the  swell  of  the  sea  in  the  horizon. 

The  whole  ship's  company  were  deceived  by  this 
remarkable  appearance,  and  if  circumstances  had 
not  favored  my  prolonged  inspection  of  it,  I  should 
certainly  have  made  a  report  which  would  have 
added  another  to  the  list  of  doubtful  dangers,  which 
are  combined  puzzles  and  terrors  to  navigators. 

Fresh  south-east  trades  brought  us  north  at  an 
average  speed  of  over  nine  knots,  for  a  few  days, 
and  carried  us  to  lat.  12"^  30'  S.  Here,  according 
to  books,  we  should  find  the  N.W.  Monsoon,  and 
anticipating  it  I  had  followed  the  sailing  directions 
and  kept  to  the  westward  of  the  direct  course,  in 
order  to  be  sure  of  fetching  into  the  Straits  of 
Sunda  with  the  north-west  wind.  Instead  of  this, 
eleven  successive  days  of  light  south-east  airs  and 
calms  attended  us.  Coming  at  the  end  of  the 
passage,  this  delay  was  very  hard  to  bear,  and  we 
saw  daily  the  hopes  of  a  "  crack  passage  "  dwindling 
away.    The  tropical  sun  poured  down,  upon  us. 


156  ON   BOAKD   THE  IIOCKET. 

and  with  no  breezes  Stirling  to  alleviiite  its  eflfects, 
discomfort  of  body  was  added  to  the  distress  of 
mind.  The  attitudes  assumed  on  one  of  these  calm, 
hot  days,  are  so  expressive  of  the  mental  emotions 
entertained,  that  the  reader  for  further  information 
as  to  how  we  felt,  is  referred  to  our  artist's  por- 
trayal of  the  scene. 

The  Rocket'' s  cabin  was  below  the  poop-deck, 
built  in  the  style  called  a  "  trunk,"  that  is,  sunk 
part  way  into  the  between  decks.  My  room  was 
in  the  forward  end,  on  the  starboard  side,  and  a 
small  window  opening  through  the  "  break  of  the 
poop  "  admitted  sights  and  sounds  from  the  deck. 
This  was  often  very  serviceable  in  keeping  track  of 
what  was  going  on  when  the  "  old  man,"  as  the 
captain  is  always  styled,  was  supposed  to  be  safely 
out  of  the  way.  I  also  overheard  many  conversa- 
tions not  intended  for  my  ear,  and  was  some^^'mes 
entertained  by  the  officers'  yarns  as  they  sat  c  he 
booby-hatch  in  the  dog-watch,  six  to  eight  o'  'K 
in  the  evening.  As  this  was  the  passenger  nrst 
experience  of  sea-life,  they  very  kindly  supplied 
him  most  liberally  with  information  on  that  topic. 
Some  of  the  items  were  of  considerable  interest. 
The  mate  gave  most  of  the  stories,  but  ih^  second 
mate  sometimes  "  put  in  his  oar."  One  e(;ening,  1 
heard  the  mate  describe,  in  terms  that  wouxd  have 
done  honor  to  a  city-press  reporter,  the  construction 
of  a  new  steamer  that  was  to  combine  two  means 
of  locomotion.    A  railroad  was  laid  on  her  deck^ 


Dead  calm. 


mates'  yarns.  159 

auvi  when  she  left  New  York,  a  train  containing  the 
passengers  started  from  her  stern.  When  the  bow 
of  the  sliip  reached  Liverpool,  the  train  would  just 
get  to  that  end  of  the  ship,  having  been  rushing 
ahead  all  the  time  that  the  steamer  was  crossing 
the  Atlantic.  If  I  remember  rightly,  the  passen- 
gers were  only  three  days  in  crossing  by  this  double 
method  of  travel. 

The  second  mate  followed  this  up  with  an  ac- 
count of  a  sailing-ship  that  he  was  in,  which  had  a 
gangway  built  around  the  ship,  and  the  captain 
used  to  ride  around  the  vessel  on  horseback  with  a 
speaking-trumpet,  giving  orders.  The  ship  was 
lighted  by  gas.  Pipes  with  hot  tea  and  coffee  ran 
to  the  captain's  state-room  from  the  galley,  and  a 
small  railroad  was  laid  on  deck  to  carry  the  hands 
fore  and  aft,  but  it  was  a  horse-car  affair,  and  so 
on. 

Tlie  most  remarkable  story,  I  felt  worthy  of 
record,  and  I  will  give  it  in  the  mate's  words. 

"  When  I  was  mate  of  the  clipper  ship  "  None- 
such "  (she  had  three  decks  and  no  bottom)  w© 
were  sailing  in  the  Indian  Ocean  bound  from 
Mauritius  to  Calcutta,  in  ballast.  One  day,  look- 
ing to  windward  I  saw  a  great  splashing  in  the 
water,  which  rapidly  approached  the  vessel.  I  ran 
up  the  mizzen-rigging  and  discovered  that  a  large 
whale  was  coming  towards  us  pursued  by  a  sword- 
nsli,  which  made  attacks  upon  it  whenever  it  could 
overtake  the  whale.    As  they  ueared  the  ship  the 


160  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

whale  sank  a  little  below  the  surface  of  the  water, 
and  then,  seeing  the  hull  of  the  vessel  in  tlie  wa}',  it 
rose  to  the  surface,  gave  one  twist  of  its  tail,  and 
with  a  tremendous  effort  leaped  into  the  fiir,  and 
went  clean  over  the  royal-mast  liead.  I  never  was 
so  astonished  in  my  life,  and  the  swordfish  appeared 
to  be  equally  surprised,  for  he  stopped  and  looked 
aloft  for  half  a  second,  and  then  making  a  dive  he 
went  under  the  keel  of  the  ship.  As  he  rose  to 
the  surface  on  the  other  side,  he  pointed  his  sword 
up  straight  in  the  air,  and  when  the  whale  fell  he 
caught  it  on  the  point  and  whirled  it  round  and 
round  for  nearly  a  mi^iute.  Then  the  whale  got 
off,  the  swordfish  being  wearied  out,  I  suppose, 
and  both  started  on  another  race.  After  going  a 
little  distance  the  whale  turned  towards  the  ship, 
and  being  too  feeble  now,  from  loss  of  blood,  to 
take  another  leap,  he  struck  the  ship  and  swung 
alongside,  broadside  on.  The  swordfish  came  ou 
with  such  force  that  his  sword  pierced  the  body  of 
the  whale  and  we  felt  the  jar  as  it  struck  the  ship's 
side.  There  they  lay  thrashing  and  bleeding.  We 
were  surprised  that  the  whale  didn't  move  off,  as 
we  had  been  going  five  or  six  knots,  and  we  also 
noticed  that  our  speed  was  reduced.  The  carpenter 
went  down  into  the  hold,  and  found  that  the  fish's 
sword  had  cut  right  through  the  side  of  the  ship, 
and  whale  and  swordfish  were  made  fast  to  us. 
He  got  his  hammer  and  bent  the  end  of  the  sword 
BO  that  it  couldn't  be  pulled  out ;  and  the  whale  soon 


A   WHALE  STORY.  161 


dying,  we  turned  into  a  whale-ship  for  a  while,  cut 
it  up  and  tried  out  several  barrels  of  oil.  We  shot 
the  swordfish  with  a  rifle,  but  left  his  sword  in  the 
plank,  and  it  was  cut  out  wiien  we  got  home  and 
put  in  a  museum  for  a  curiosity.  We  found  the 
greatest  lot  of  trash  in  the  whale's  stomach  that 
you  can  imagine  —  pieces  of  sailor's  shirts,  old 
boots,  tin  pans,  glass  bottles  and  preserve-cans. 
There  was  a  very  fine  linen  handkerchief  with 
some  queer  letters  in  the  corner,  which  no  one 
could  make  out.  The  captain  carried  it  home  and 
showed  it  to  a  minister,  who  was  a  great  scholar. 
He  said  the  letters  were  Hebrew  and  spelt  Jonah  I 
There  seemed  to  be  no  doubt  that  this  was  tlie 
very  whale  that  swallowed  the  prophet,  when  lie 
cut  sticks  off  to  sea  and  got  hove  overboard  in  a 
gale  of  wind.  It's  said  Jonah  felt  down  in  the 
mouth  after  the  whale  took  him  in,  and  no  doubt 
he  cried  and  took  out  his  handkerchief  to  wipe  his 
eyes.  Then  he  came  out  pretty  sudden,  and  must 
have  dropped  it  in  his  surprise.  I've  always  be- 
lieved in  Jonah  since  then." 

One  afternoon,  when  ninety-eight  days  out,  we 
sighted  Java  Head,  the  south-western  point  of 
Java,  and  at  sunset  were  just  fifteen  miles  west  of 
it.  This  seemed  almost  like  arrival  at  our  destina- 
tion. It  is  a  great  relief  to  the  navigator,  after 
months  of  steering  by  the  stars,  to  find  his  reckon- 
ing proved  correct  by  seeing  the  dry  land  appear, 
just  where  his  calculations  lead  him  to  look  ^or  it. 


162  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 


It  thrillj  his  mind  to  think  that  he  has  been  enabled 
to  find  his  way  thro^jgh  pathless  wastes,  over  half 
the  circumference  of  the  globe,  to  a  little  head- 
land in  the  eastern  seas.  He  feels  a  reverence 
for  the  noble  science  whose  deductions  have  led  to 
this  result,  and  also  usually  indulges  in  some  self- 
complacent  emotions  at  his  own  successful  applica- 
tion of  its  rules.  Having  bearings  of  the  land 
he  now  knows  where  he  is  by  sight,  and  gladly 
leaves  his  life  of  faith.  He  finds,  however,  that 
this  element  of  security  is  offset  by  a  vast  increase 
of  danger.  In  proximity  to  the  land  are  rocks  and 
shoals,  and  around  them  sweep  ever  varying  cur- 
l  rents.  Dark  nights  and  storms  envelope  and  assail 
him,  and  hours  of  anxiety  are  passed,  such  as  are 
wholly  unknown  in  the  deep  sea  sailing. 

This  night  I  was  destined  to  experience  the  haz- 
ards of  coast  navigation  and  to  recognize  the  pre- 
^  serving  hand  of  God  in  preventing  our  shipwreck. 
Knowing  my  position  so  exactly,  I  felt  emboldened 
to  attempt  to  work  into  the  Straits  of  Sunda  in 
the  night,  In  the  evening  a  fresh  breeze  sprang 
up  ahead  varying  from  E.  S.  E.  to  E.  N.  E.,  ac- 
companied by  heavy  rain-squalls.  The  night  was 
very  dark  and  I  remained  on  deck  the  whole  time, 
except  for  the  few  moments  occasionally  required 
for  marking  the  supposed  position  on  the  chart 
and  planning  the  movements  of  the  vessel.  We 
made  several  tacks  and  at  thxee  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  I  supposed  we  were  well  into  the 


•  A  DANGEROUS  REEF.        __  163 

Straits,  after  a  rain-squall  had  passed,  the  cloudd 
broke  away,  revealing  the  old  moon  just  getting 
out  of  bed  from  behind  a  high  hill  directly  ahead, 
towards  which  we  were  hastening  at  a  rate  of 
speed  which  would  have  oa,?t  us  upon  its  shores  in 
another  quarter  of  an  hour.  The  bark  was  imme- 
diately hove  to,  while  I  tried  unsuccessfully  to 
verify  my  position.  Daylight  revealed  that  we 
had  been  about  running  into  Java  Head,  the  cur- 
rent having  set  us  back  S.  W.  by  S.  B2  miles  in 
twelve  hours.  So  here  we  were,  instead  of  being 
in  the  Strait,  still  at  its  entrance,  not  having 
secured  any  gain  from  all  the  night's  work,  the 
insidious  current  having  robbed  us  of  the  fruits  of 
our  toil.  I  had  been  frcttii?g  all  the  night  because 
the  wind  would  not  haul  and  allow  us  to  steer  in  a 
certain  direction.  I  was  thrilled  and  instructed  by 
noticing  on  the  chart  that,  if  I  had  been  permitted 
to  take  the  course  I  desired,  we  should  have  eer 
tainly  been  wrecked  on  the  dangerous  reef  extend- 
ing from  Prince's  Inland.  How  near  we  came  to 
it  I  cannot  say,  but  that  we  avoided  it  was  not 
owing  to  my  ov/ii  skill,  but  to  Him  whose  hand  led 
me  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea.  Many  a  suc- 
cessful navigator  iu  these  Eastern  waters  could 
join  me  in  acknov/iedging  that  in  some  instances 
his  safety  has  been  owing  "more  to  luck  than 
^  good  mana'^emont "  as  the  common  phrase  goes,  or 
as  one  had  better  say,  to  a  kind  Providence.  This 
event  gavt*  me  an  illustration  of  "  Prayer  answered 


164  .    ON  BOAKD  THE   ROCKET. 

by  crosses  "  and  in  later  trials  has  belped   me   to 
say :  "  Thy  will  be  done." 

The  next  night,  being  in  very  close  quarters 
among  islands  and  rocks,  I  took  bearings  of  a 
light  to  test  iny  progress,  the  darkness  hiding  the 
dangers  from  view.  A  light  breeze  was  blowing, 
and  the  bark  moved  at  the  rate  of  about  two  knots 
through  the  water.  The  light  however  remained 
on  the  same  bearing,  showing  that  we  gained  noth- 
ing on  it,  and  I  supposed  the  same  strong  current 
was  neutralizing  all  the  power  of  the  wind.  I 
was  about  to  come  to  anchor  to  avoid  the  peril  of 
drifting  about  in  the  darkness  amid  so  many 
dangers,  when  o.  close  inspection  of  the  light  with 
the  marine  glass,  showed  it  was  not  on  the  land, 
but  on  board  a  vessel  in  shore,  sailing  with  us,  and 
on  the  other  side  we  soon  discovered  a  rock, 
which  we  were  passing  quite  swiftly,  the  current 
evidently  having  changed  in  the  opposite  direction. 
This  event  supplied  another  moral  reflection :  the 
importance  of  measuring  by  a  right  standard. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


LIFE  IN  THE  EAST    INDIES. 

**  It  is  a  goodly  sight  to  see 

What  Heaven  hath  done  for  this  delicious  land,"  —  Byion% 

**  And,  oh  I  if  there  be  an  Elysium  on  earth, 
It  is  this,  it  is  this.'*  —  Thomas  Moore. 

THE  East  Indies  is  a  name  generally  applied 
to  the  archipelago  lying  S.  E.  of  Asia,  con- 
taining the  islands  of  Sumatra,  Java,  Borneo,  Cel- 
ebes and  others.  It  was  visited  by  voyagers  from 
the  Western  World  in  the  16th  century,  and  since 
that  time  Portuguese,  Dutch,  English  and  French 
have  controlled  parts  of  its  domain. 

I  wish  I  could  affect  the  reader's  imagination  as 
my  own  senses  were  impressed,  when,  after  the 
stormy  night,  in  which  we  barely  escaped  ship- 


166  ON   BOAKD   THE  ROCKET. 

.■''.,,  -   .       , 

'■■'■;   .       ■-     ■-  ■%•  /-  ^    ■'■-■'■.,■■.■','■   ■ 

wreck,  we  sailed  in  the  early  morning  along  the 
shores  of  Java,  an  island  so  beautiful  in  its  aspect, 
so  luxuriant  in  its  productions,  and  so  delightful 
in  its  varied  climates,  as  to  have  been  claimed  by 
many  as  the  veritable  locality  of  the  Garden  of 
Eden.  As  we  sail  along,  monkeys  chatter  at  us 
from  the  trees  and  rocks  that  girt  the  shore ; 
bright  plumaged  birds  are  seen  on  the  wing,  and 
the  dewy  air  floats  off  to  us  so  loaded  with  odors 
suggestive  of  delicious  fruits,  that  one  instinctively 
opens  his  mouth  to  devour  it.  This  makes  plain 
an  idiom  of  the  Malay  language.  "  To  take  a  walk  " 
is  expressed  in  that  tongue  by  words  meaning  to 
eat  the  air.  I  can  hardly  recommend  thio  chame- 
lion  diet  as  a  staple  food,  but  it  is  most  excellent 
for  dessert. 

Sailing  up  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  the  waters  at- 
tract the  notice  by  the  curiosities  floated  on  their 
surface.  Cuttlefish  bones,  such  as  our  canaries 
use,  cocoanuts,  a  great  variety  of  fruits  and  leaves, 
and  even  floating  rocks,  which  are  found  to  bo 
pumice  stone,  pass  the  vessel  in  continued  proces- 
sion. Besides  these  an  evidence  of  civilization  is 
usually  noticed  in  the  form  of  square-faced  gin 
bottles,  for  these  abound  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Dutch  settlements. 

At  Anjer,  a  little  village  nestled  among  dense 
foliage,  *'  bumboats  "  come  off  to  supply  the  ships 
with  fruits  and  provisions.  One  of  these  makin 
fast  to  a  vessel,  a  man  climbs  up  on  deck,  dressed 


LIFE  IN  THE  ^AST   INDIES.  167 

in  jacket  and  pants  of  striped  red  and  yellow  cot- 
ton and  introduces  himself  as  Paul  Jones ;  but  if 
he  visits  an  English  ship  he,  perhaps,  knows  enougli 
to  select  a  name  less  offensive  in  its  allusions. 
This  boat  contains  yams  (the  eastern  substitute  for 
potatoes),  cocoanuts,  bananas,   fowls,  shells,   Java 

sparrows,  and  always  monkeys.  A  sailor  some- 
times sets  these  last  loose,  and  they  escape  on 
board  the  ship  and  retain  their  liberty.  The  last 
time  I  passed  Anjer  homeward  bound,  my  previous  '  : 
experience  with  monkeys  led  me  to  send  word  to 
the  crew  that  they  might  buy  as  many  monkeys  as 
they  wished,  but  I  should  charge  $10  for  each 
one's  passage  to  New  York.  The  consequence  was 
that  no  monkeys  were  bought;  but  after  getting 
to  sea,  I  found  the  crew  had  invested  in  squirrels, 
which  had  the  art  of  taking  very  long  leaps 
through  the  air,  so  that  one  was  often  startled  by  : 
hearing  a  whiz,  and  feeling  an  animal  alight  on  the  ' 
back  of  the  neck.  I  resolved  that  in  future  squir- 
rels should  also  be  excluded  from  the  free  passen- 
gers' list.- 

Rounding  St.  Nicholas  Point  into  the  Java  Sea, 
we  sail  among  small  islands,  each  a  perfect  gem  of 
landscape  beauty.  All  have  read  of  the  formation 
of  these  coral  islands ;  how  the  little  insects  rear 
the  structure  and  die  at  the  water's  surface  when 
their  work  is  done.  Then  the  drift  of  the  sea  col- 
lects upon  the  coral,  earth  slowly  accumulates; 
cocoanuts  are  washed  up,  and  taking  root,  send  up 


168  ON  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

the  tall  palm-trees ;  finally,  the  whole  island  be- 
comes a  mass  of  luxuriant  verdure.  A  glistening 
white  sand  beach  sui rounds  it,  and  at  a  little  distance 
it  is  encircled  with  a  wreath  of  foam,  as  the  sea 
ceaselessly  breaks  over  the  surrounding  reef.  These 
are  the  jewels  of  the  eastern  seas — the  emerald 
brooch  with  silver  setting,  fastened  upon  the  bosom 
of  the  deep. 

Anchoring  in  Batavia  harbor,  native  boatmen 
row  us  ashore,  giving  monotonous  grunts  as  they 
ply  their  oars ;  and  pulling  up  a  long  canal,  we 
land  at  the  "  boom,"  or  Custom  House.  A  car- 
riage is  secured,  a  sort  of  barouche,  having  four 
wheels,  and  one  seat  with  projecting  hood.  A  driver 
sits  on  the  box,  wearing  a  loose  bright-colored 
frock,  his  head  covered  with  an  enormous  gilt  hat, 
in  shape  like  an  inverted  wash-bowl.  Two  ponies 
are  attached  to  the  carriage  ;  the  driver  cracks  his 
whip  and  beats  them  to  enforce  a  start,  but  in 
vain.  This  carriage,  in  the  Malay  tongue,  is  called 
a  "oritur,"  but  an  Irishman  would  certainly  apply 
that  term  to  the  horses,  for  of  all  created  animals, 
donkeys  not  excepted,  these  East  Indian  horses  are 
the  most  erratic  and  unaccountable  in  their  move- 
ments. In  this  case  an  appeal  to  the  bystanders 
brings  a  crowd  to  push  the  vehicle  ahead,  until  the 
ponies,  through  fear  of  being  run  over,  decide  to 
get  out  of  the  way,  and  start  off  upon  a  gallop, 
which  is  maintained  till  the  destination  is  reached ; 
unless  they  should  happen  to  stop  suddenly,  stand 


_  LIFE   IN   THE   EAST   INDIES.  169 

on  their  heads  and  Vick  their  heels  at  the  driver's 
wash-bowl  hat;  or  else,  turning  at  right  angles, 
dash  off  the  road  into  a  hedge.     I  was  once  driv- 
ing in  Penang,  in  the  Straits  of   Malacca,  with  a 
gentleman,   in   an   American   buggy   drawn  by  a 
Sumatra  pony  ;  a  Iiorse  passing  at  a  gallop  infuri- 
ated the  animal,  and  he  rushed  at  his  utmost  speed 
along  a  smooth,  wide   road.     At  its  sides  were 
ravines  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  ran  streams  of  water.     No  obstruction 
was  in  sight  save  a  solitary  buffalo  cart  on  the  left 
hand  side  of  the  road ;  and  because  that  was  the 
only  point  where  he  could  not  have  the  freedom  of 
the  whole  road,  there  that  pony  deemed  the  path 
of  duty  to  lie.     As   he   approached   the   cart   he 
bolted  off  to  that  side  of  the  road,  tottered  a  mo- 
ment on  the  edge  of   the  bank,   and  over  it  we 
went.     Flying  through  the  air,  I  struck  my  head 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine,  and  rolled  down 
into  the  stream  under  the  pony,  who  looked  as 
though  he  wished  he  hadn't  done  it.     Some  natives 
helped  me  up  into  the  road,  and  when  I  appeared 
on  board  ship  the  next  morning  with  my  bruised 
and  battered  face  and  soiled  clothing,  the  sailors 
cast  suspicious  glances,  and  I  learned  afterwards, 
.were  quite  elated  at  having  detected  their  moraliz- 
ing captain  in  the  indulgence  of  a  night-long  spree 
with  such  results.     This  injury  to  my  reputation 
niay  account  for  my  prejudice  against  East  India 
ponies;  but  now  that  I  have  given  them  a  bad 


170        „  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

name  I  have  had  my  revenge.  It  must  be  admitted 
that  they  are  indispensable  to  comfort,  with  all 
tlieir  ills,  for  the  fierce  tropical  sun  forbids  noon- 
day walking,  and  some  covered  conveyance  is  an 
essential  of  life  in  the  East ;  so,  in  China,  each 
person  has  his  sedan  chair  carried  by  two  coolies ; 
in  the  Straits'  Settlements,  his  one-horse  gharry, 
and  in  the  Dutch  places  his  cretur.  Some  security 
is  given  against  the  waywardness  of  the  ponies  by 
the  frequent  practice  of  building  embankments  at 
the  sides  of  the  roads ;  and  some  escape  their 
dangers  by  using  good  horses  from  Australia,  or, 
occasionally,  fine  Arab  steeds.    ' 

The  hotel  at  which  we  arrive  is  a  two-story 
building,  and  in  the  rear  extend  lines  of  one-storied 
structures,  with  wide  walks  covered  by  verandahs, 
upon  which  the  rooms  all  open.  Upon  my  first 
arrival  at  this  hotel  I  entered  the  office,  but  saw  no 
person  there,  unless  Mr.  Darwin's  friends  should 
insist  that  I  applied  that  term  to  a  large  monkey, 
who  was  seated  upon  the  table  engaged  in  pouring 
the  contents  of  a  capacious  inkstand  upon  the 
open  pages  of  the  hotel  register.  My  presence 
ended  this  evidence  of  a  dawning  fondness  and 
aptitude  for  the  fine  arts. 

Allow  me  to  describe  a  day's  life  as  a  sample  of 
the  mode  of  existence  among  the  foreign  residents. 
In  the  morning  one  is  awakened  b}'  a  servant  en- 
tering the  room  with  a  cup  of  tea ;  looking  out 
upon  the  verandah,  another  servant  maj^  be  seen 


LIFE  IN   THE   EAST  INDIES.         _        171 

engaged  in  cleaning  t!ie  shoes.     He  plucks  a  flower 
from  a  plant  close  at  hand,  rubs  it  over  the  shoe 
and  then  applies  the  polishing  brush,  with  brilliant 
efifect.     This  is  called  the  shoe-plant;  and  nature 
makes  another  appropriate  arrangement  in  produc- 
ing the  sGctp  tree,    with   the  fruit   of    which  the 
hands  may  be  cleansed.     Seizing  the  towels,  one 
next  proceeds,  in  his  sleeping  costume,  across  the 
court  3^ard  to  the  bath  house  ;  this  is  a  room  paved 
with  tiles,  containing  a  large  tank  of  water.     The 
mode  of  bathing  is  that  practised  by  the  natives. 
Standing  alongside  the   tank  the  person  dips  out 
water  in  a  small  bucket  and  pours  it  on  the  head. 
This  becomes  a  very  ftivorite  method  of  perform- 
ing ablution.     Returning  to  the  room,  the  sleeping 
costume  is  laid  aside  for  the  habiliments  of  the 
day;  but  it  demands  a  description,  for  few  things 
are  more  peculiar  or  essential  to  a  comfortable  life 
in  the  East.     It  consists  of  loose  trousers,  called 
pajamas,  and  a  jacket,  called  bajou.     The  pajamas 
are  made  of  colored  calico,  the  more  brilliant  in 
color  and  startling  in  pattern  the  better.     They 
are  gathered  about  the  waist  with  a  string.     The 
bajou  is  of  white  calico,  buttons  closely  about  the 
throat  and  reaches  to  the  hips.     This  dress  is  worn 
not  only  at  night,  but  whenever  in  the  day  one  is 
free  from  business  or  society.     The  first  morning  I 
spent  in  Java  I  encountered  a  lady  robed  in  white. 
I  averted  my  eyes,  but  saw  another  lady  approach- 
ing, and  then  another ;  and  finding  them  uucon- 


172  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

cerned,  I  gained  assurance  enough  to  inspect  their 
costume.  I  learned  that  in  the  Dutch  settlements 
in  the  East  Indies  ladies  adopt  a  dress  correspond- 
ing somewhat  to  that  of  the  native  women,  which 
they  wear  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  only 
nppear  in  European  costume  in  the  evening.  This 
dress  consists  of  the  "  sarong,"  or  loose  skirt  of 
colored  calico  reaching  to  the  ankles,  and  the 
'*  cobai3^a,"  a  white  sack  descending  to  the  knees. 
Sandals  are  worn,  but  no  stockings.  Tne  first  im- 
pression upon  the  masculine  beholder  is  not  pleas- 
ant. It  seems  a  decidedly  slipshod  attire ;  but  we 
soon  become  accustomed  to  it,  and  admire,  at  least, 
the  good  sense  that  leads  to  the  con  uderation  of 
comfort,  rather  than  fashionable  appearance. 

After  the  bath  the  gentleman  dresses  for  the 
day,  either  all  in  white  or  with  a  loose  black  sack 
coat.  Breakfast  is  served,  consisting  of  broiled 
fowl,  eggs,  fruits,  &c.,  and  at  about  ten  o'clock  the 
carriage  takes  him  to  his  office.  Between  twelve 
and  one  a  lunch  is  served  on  the  business  premises, 
the  chief  item  of  which  is  curry.  This  demands 
description.  We  ha\e  all  seen  bottled  curry  pow- 
der, but  what  is  used  on  the  spot  is  made  fresh 
every  day.  The  ingredients  are  ground  upon  a 
stone  and  mixed  together.  The  meat  of  a  cocoa- 
nut  is  grated,  moistened  with  water  and  squeezed 
by  the  hand  over  the  curry  powder.  Into  this, 
prawns,  or  bita  of  fowl  oi'  meat,"  are  placed  and  the 
dish  is  read3\     Rice  is  first  taken  upon  the  plate 


LIFE   IN   THE   EAST   INDIES.  173 

and  curry  is  added.  A  tray  is  handed  containing 
a  dozen  little  plates,  each  holding  some  kind  of 
poppers,  pickles,  spices  or  chutney,  and  one  is  sup- 
posed to  take  a  little  of  each,  or  else  to  make  a  ju- 
dicious selection.  A  dried  fish,  called  a  Bombay 
(luck,  is  broken  up  over  the  pile  and  more  meat  or 
fowl  may  be  added,  or  else  some  fricadel,  a 
delightful  compound  of  bread,  eggs  and  minced 
fowl.  Finally  all  is  thoroughl}'-  mixed  together 
and  eaten  with  the  aid  of  a  spoon  or  fork.  This 
tastes  better  than  it,  probably,  sounds  to  the 
reader's  ears,  and  there  is  no  recollection  of  the 
East  more  suggestive  and  fascinating  to  a  former 
resident  than  the  curry.  It  seems  strange,  how 
ever,  that  in  such  warm  climates  nature  should 
crave  such  heating  and  stimulating  food. 

If  it  is  not  steamer-day,  the  gentleman  will  prob- 
ably drive  home  at  about  four  o'clock ;  the  paja- 
mas and  bajou  are  donned,  a  book  or  short  nap 
occupy  an  hour ;  another  bath  is  taken,  and  the 
evening  dress  is  assumed,  which  usually  will  be  of 
white,  with  a  short  jacket,  such  as  is  worn  by 
waiters  in  our  hotels.  A  walk  or  drive  is  taken  in 
the  cool  of  the  evening,  ladies  and  gentlemen  ap- 
pearing without  headdress  or  hats ;  or  if  hats  are 
worn,  they  are  light  articles,  made  of  cork  or  pith, 
with  good  ventilation.  They  meet  where  the 
band  may  be  playing,  or  drive  along  the  charming 
suburbs,  or  saunter  to  the  club-house.  Between 
seven  and  eight  they  sit  down  to  dinner,  and  get 


174  ON   liOARD   TUE  ROCKET. 

up  at  some  indefinite  period  between  nine  and  day 
light.  The  men  smoke  their  cigars  between  the 
courses,  drink  liquors  throughout  the  meal,  and 
afterwards  take  a  night-cap  of  brandy  and  water. 
They  retire  finally  to  beds  covered  with  rattan 
mats,  and  devoid  of  bedclothes.  A  lamp  remains 
lighted  all  night  in  the  room,  and  consists  of  a 
glass  tumbler  half  full  of  water,  with  cocoanut  oil 
poured  in,  and  a  small  wick  floated  on  top  in  the 
centre.     This  is  the  lamp  of  the  East. 

The  houses  of  the  foreign  residents  arc  one- 
story  structures,  raised  a  few  feet  from  the  ground, 
built  of  brick  or  stone,  covered  with  plaster  and 
whitewashed.  A  broad  flight  of  steps  leads  to  a 
wide  verandah,  which  is  supplied  with  furniture, 
especially  easy  chairs  of  luxurious  model,  and  this 
place  is  the  sitting-room  and  reception  hall  of  the 
family.  Within  are  parlor  and  bedrooms,  and  at 
the  back  of  the  house  is  another  verandah,  gener- 
ally used  as  a  dining-room.  One  who  takes  an 
evening's  walk,  and  as  he  passes  each  house,  looks 
through  the  dark  foliage  at  the  brilliantly  lighted 
verandah,  with  its  family  and  social  groups,  will 
get  a  series  of  most  enchanting  tableaux.  When 
the  residents  wish  to  be  "not  at  home,"  they 
darken  the  front  verandah  and  get  further  into  their 
houses,  so  callers  are  spared  useless  inquiries.  In 
the  rear  of  the  house,  the  servants'  lodgings, 
kitchen  and  bath-house  are  placed.  The  kitcliens 
are  a  novelty.     A  raised  platform  runs  the  IcMigtli 


LIFE   IN   THK   EAST   INDIES.  175 

of  the  building,  and  on  top  of  it,  or  in  arclies  near 
the  top,  several  fires  are  built  as  needed,  one  for 
each  dish  to  be  prepared.  There  is  no  chimney ; 
the  smoke  not  absorbed  by  the  food,  escapes 
through  the  doors.  The  servants  are  numerous, 
and  each  has  his  separate  sphere.  There  is  no 
''  maid  of  all  work  ''  in  t;uO  East.  Every  person  has 
his  ''bo3%"  who  hovers  about  him  in  all  his  waking 
hours,  and  cares  for  him  much  as  a  nurse  for  a 
child.  The  boy  is  called  for  every  trivial  service, 
and  I  have  heard  the  master  shout  repeatedly  for 
the  ''  sup[)ada,"  as  servants  are  called,  and  when 
he  came  running  breathless  from  the  rear  of  the 
house,  he  was  ordered  to  move  a  chair  that  stood  a 
few  yards  off,  in  order  that  the  luxurious  master 
could  put  his  feet  on  it. 

The  vegetation  of  the  East  impresses  the  travel- 
ler with  its  luxuriant  growth  and  beauty  of  form 
and  color.  There  is  no  "  Fall ;  "  all  is  evergreen. 
The  cocoanut  trees  abound,  perhaps,  most  com- 
monly. The  loru!  of  its  straight  stem,  with 
branches  spreading  from  the  top,  and  the  fruit 
nestling  at  the  summit,  are  familiar  to  all.  It  is 
interestinix  to  see  the  natives  climb  these  tall 
trunks  to  gather  the  cocoanuts.  Sometimes  thej' 
ascend  by  stepping  upon  notches  cut  in  the  tree, 
and  at  others  they  put  a  loop  of  rope  around  both 
ankles,  and  seize  another  loop  with  both  hands, 
their  arms  encircling  the  tree ;  then  alternately 
grasping  the  trunk  with  feet  and  hands  they  ascend 


176  ON   BOARD   THE   llOCKET. 

swiftly,  and  soon  the  thump  of  the  nuts  on  the 
ground  is  heard.  Pickiiig  up  a  green  one,  and 
cutting  a  hole,  you  nmy  obtain  a  delicious  drink  of 
sweet  water.  The  "  flame  tree  "  attracts  especial 
notice  in  Batavia.  Its  lower  leaves  are  of  a  dark 
green,  and  grow  gradually  lighter  until  at  the  top 
they  are  straw-colored,  forming  a  pyram^'d  of  light. 
Outside  the  limits  of  the  town  one  comes  to  the 
jungle,  which  may  thus  be  described,  partly  in 
another's  words:  Imagine  a  forest  of  gigantic 
trees  standing  together  almost  like  the  stalks  in  a 
wheat  field.  They  are  smooth  and  branchless  for 
four-fifths  of  their  height,  and  then  spreading  out, 
interlacing,  form  a  complete  canopy.  Then  a 
growth  of  shorter  trees  springs  up,  winding  their 
branches  in  and  out  among  the  trunks;  then 
comes  a  growth  of  ferns,  palms  and  plants,  and 
finally,  the  whole  mass  is  woven  together  by  a  net- 
work of  creepers  and  parasites,  from  tlie  slender 
rattan  to  the  vine  as  thick  as  a  man's  body  In 
the  elbows  of  the  trees  are  many  orchidaceous 
plants  thriving  on  the  air  and  sending  down  their 
shoots  into  the  network  below.  This  jungle  is  ab- 
solutely impenetrable  b}^  man,  but  the  tiger  roams 
through  it,  and  lurks  on  its  border  for  the  un- 
wary passer-by.  Be3^ond  tlie  jungle  may  be  seen 
the  "  Paddy-fields,"  the  light  green  color  of  the 
growing  rice,  pleasing  the  eye  in  contrast  with  the 
copper-colored  beeches  and  the  purple  mountains 
beyond  the  plaiii.     The  graceful  bamboo  waves  in 


LIFE  IN   THE  EAST   INDIES.  177 

every  direction,  and  gains  respect  as  being  the 
most  useful  growth  of  the  East,  though  botanists 
term  it  only  a  grass.  Its  uses  are  innumerable; 
but  two  extremes  may  be  mentioned.  With  it  the 
natives  build  their  houses  and  beat  their  children. 
The  tropical  fruits  require  a  word  of  mention. 
There  is  the  durian,  the  favorite  of  the  natives, 
smelling,  it  is  said,  like  a  dead  elepliant,  and  tast- 
ing, to  ni}'-  palate,  like  a  mixture  of  nuts  and 
onions.  The  maiigosteen,  the  choicest  of  fruits ;  the 
delicious  mango,  the  pummalovv,  rambutan,  ducoe, 
and  banana, — all  awaken  pleasant  memories  as 
the  favorites  of  the  table. 

The  natives  are  short,  homely  and  copper-col- 
ored, or,  as  they  like  to  describe  themselves,  "  the 
color  of  gold."  The  men  dress  in  jacket  and 
pants,  with  the  sarong  wrapped  about  the  waist,  or 
hung  loosely  from  the  shoulders.  Tiie  women 
wear  the  sarong  and  cobaiya  previously  described, 
and  their  general  appearance  so  much  resembles 
that  of  men,  that  it  is  sometimes  difficult  for  an 
impartial  eye  to  distinguish  the  sexes.  The  teeth 
ure  filed  and  stained  black  from  chewing  the  betel 
nut,  as  it  is  deemed  unbecoming  to  liave  "  white 
teeth  like  a  dog."  The  liouses  are  of  bamboo, 
covered  with  a  tliatched  roof,  and  mounted  on 
posts,  and  the  front-door  steps  consist  of  a  ladder. 
The  food  is  chiefly  rice ;  but  if  report  is  true 
many  revolting  creatures  are  devoured,  and  worms 
and  white  ants  are  occasionally  taken  "as  a  relish." 


178  ON   BOAllD   THE  KOCKET. 

The  buffalo  is  a  member  of  society  that  deserves 
notice.  A  hump  on  his  back  serves  to  hold  the 
yoke,  and  he  is  driven  by  a  string  tied  to  a  ring  of 
rattan  passed  through  the  nose.  After  work  they 
delight  to  stand  in  the  river  or  canal,  and  with 
only  their  heads  above  water,  enjoy  a  cooling  off.  , 
The  Dutch  Government  requires  every  native,  who 
walks  after  dark,  to  carry  a  torch.  This  is  com- 
posed of  stems  from  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  and  is 
fanned  into  flame  as  the  holder  hears  an  approach- 
ing  footstep.  They  vie  with  the  fireflies  in  making  i 
the  night  attractive. 

Many  customs  are  striking  to  the  visitor.  The  \ 
woman  walks  in  front  of  the  man,  so  that  she  may 
regulate  the  pace  as  she  desires,  a  refinement  we 
might  copy.  After  marriage  the  husband  goes  to 
the  bride's  home  and  resides.  A  man  leaves  his 
property  to  his  nephews  and  nieces,  not  to  his  own 
children,  for  he  casts  a  slur  upon  female  virtue  by 
saying :  "  A  man  may  be  sure  his  sister's  chil-  C 
dren  are  of  his  own  blood,  but  who  knows  that  liis 
own  are?" 

Descriptions  of  life  so  luxurious  as  that  of  the 
East  Indies  may  seem  attractive  and  fascinating  to 
dwellers  in  the  harsh,  northern  climes ;  but  there 
are  compensations.  The  enervated  East  Indian 
resident  sighs  for  the  cold  winter,  the  bracing 
r.leigh  ride,  the  animating  change  of  seasons,  culti- 
vated society,  the  intellectual  stimulus  of  scientific 
iiivestigation    and   literary   criticism,   and   though 


CAEIJVIATA   PASSAGE.  179 

myself  partial    to    the   East   in   manj'-  respects,  I 
would  say  with  Engiancrs  poet: 

"Better  fifty  years  of  Europe  than  a  cycle  of  Cathay." 

In  six  days  the  cargo  destined  for  Batavia  was 
landed,  and  on  a  Saturday  the  vessel  cleared  for 
Singapore.  The  wind  was  ahead  and  it  was  a  dif- 
ficult and  dangerous  task  to  work  out  among  the 
nian^"  shoals  that  lie  in  the  harbor.  No  pilot  could 
be  obtained,  and  every  one  advised  me  to  wait  till 
Sunday  morning,  and  start  with  the  fair  breeze 
that  was  sure  to  blow  in  its  earlv  hours.  I  had 
scruples  about  sailing  on  Sunday  if  it  could  be 
avoided i  yet  feared  censure  if  I  detained  the  ves- 
sel, so  I  resolved  to  make  a  start.  We  got  under 
way,  shot  between  the  shoals  and  cleared  the  ship- 
ping in  safety.  We  passed  our  Sunday  quietly 
sailing  across  the  Java  Sea  with  the  fresh  N.  W. 
Monsoon. 

We  had  the  task  before  us  of  beating  up  the 
Carimata  Passage  against  a  head  monsoon  and  an 
opposing  current.  It  was  a  difficult  undertaking, 
often  requiring  weeks  of  fruitless  labor,  and  a 
month  was  allotted  for  the  passage  to  Singapore  by 
our  friends  in  Batavia.  On  a  previous  voyage  I 
had  found  a  disadvantage  in  having  the  crew  en- 
gaged in  work,  which  sometimes  prevented  prompt 
attention  to  the  manoeuvering  of  the  vessel,  indeed 
I  considered  once  that  I  lost  a  day  or  two  by  being 
prevented  from  tacking  ship  at  the  moment  de- 


180    _^    .      :      ON  BOARD  THE   ROCKET.  V 

sired.  Now  I  gave  orders  that  no  jobs  on  the  rig- 
ging, that  were  unnecessary,  should  be  undertaken, 
but  that  the  crew  should  be  kept  standing  by  to 
work  ship.  This  then  received  sole  attention. 
The  sails  were  always  trimmed,  the  yards  braced, 
and   with   every  favoring   variation  of    wind  we 

.  tacked  and  retacked,  fighting  oui*  way  with  inces- 
sant vigilance  by  day  and  night,  slowly  gaining 

.  ahead  in  spite  of  the  opposing  forces.  We  steered 
by  rocks  and  shoals,  shot  through  the  narrow 
Panambanga  Channel  off  the  west  coast  of  Borneo, 
and  then,  with  a  steady  beat  through  the  Southern 
China  Sea,  we  gained  the  Singapore  Strait,  and 
anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Singapore  eleven  days 
and  a  half  from  Batavia.  •  This  was  an  exciting 
passage.  Sailing  night  and  day  in  those  narrow 
waters,  occasioned  a  great  tension  of  nerves  and 
limited  the  opportunities  for  sleep.  One  night  in 
particular  remains  in  vivid  remembrance,  when 
near  dangerous  shoals,  out  of  sight  of  land,  and 
uncertain  where  the  current  might  have  drifted 
us,  the  hours  of  anxiety  seemed  like  years,  and  in 
the  morning  I  looked  in  the  glass  with  a  half- 
serious  apprehension  lest  my  hair  had  turned  grey, 
according  to  stories  we  read  of  such  effects  being 
produced  by  strong  emotions.  But  there  were 
pleasant  days,  when  gliding  slowly  by  the  ever- 
green islands,  through  the  smooth  blue  waters 
i'uil  of  minute  objects  of  interest,  with  distant 
mountain  ranges  to  rest  the  eye  upon,  life  seemnl 


The  midnight  catastrophe. 


1 


SINGAPORE.      '  183 

i 

as  full  of  romantic  enjoyment  aj  the  imaginations 
of  fabled  story. 

Upon  arrival  at  Singapore  my  first  indulgence 
was  in  a  good  all-night's  sleep  in  bed,  which  one 
learns  to  appreciate  after  days  and  nights  on  deck. 

On  one  of  the  few  occasions  during  this  passage, 
when  I  had  an  opportunity  to  catch  a  nap  on  the 
cabin  sofa  at  night,  I  was  greatly  alarmed  by  being 
aroused  from  dreams  of  shipwreck,  by  water  pour- 
ing over  me  from  a  jug  upset  by  the  swinging  open 
of  a  locker  door.  Anything  that  happens  to  "  the 
old  man  "  is  considered  important  on  shipboard, 
and  this  was  deemed  worthy  of  illustration. 

At  Singapore  we  discharged  the  rest  of  our 
cargo  and  loaded  a  quantity  of  tin,  gambler  and 
gutta  percha.  We  remained  twenty-three  days 
here,  most  of  the  time  being  spent  in  waiting  for 
the  merchants  at  Penang  to  purchase  cargo,  as  the 
vessel's  appearance  at  that  port  vhile  they  were 
buying  would  have  made  the  native  traders  put 
up  their  prices.  So  we  hid  away  at  Singapore,  and 
a  very  pleasant  hiding  place  it  was. 

The  first  novelty  that  greeted  our  arrival  was  an 
assemblage  of  canoes  and  boats.  From  tha  former 
small  boys  dived  for  coin,  thrown  from  the  vessel, 
catching  them  before  they  descended  far  below  the 
surface  of  the  water.  From  the  latter  were  offered 
us  fruit,  birds,  monkeys,  shells  and  corals,  the  last 
named  being  especially  beautiful.  A  whole  boat; 
load  of  these  at  "  a  hard  bargain  "  was  secured  for 


184         *  J>N  BOARD   THE  KOCKET.  _"^"_ 

seventy-five  cents.  The  appearance  of  the  town 
is  very  picturesque,  luxuriant  foliage  appearing 
amidst  the  collections  of  white  houses,  and  hills 
rise  in  the  rear  covered  with  nutmeg  and  fruit 
trees,  while  near  by  the  fertile  jungle  dips  its  abun- 
dant growth  into  the  sea.  jNIany  pleasant  hours 
were  passed  on  shore ;  the  fascinating  hospitalities 
of  luxurious  homes  were  enjoyed ;  a  picnic  in  the 
midst  of  the  jungle  nine  miles  from  the  city  af- 
forded a  splendid  view  of  tropical  scenery ;  and  a 
drive  to  a  cocoanut  plantation  of  five  hundred 
acres  showed  how  European  enterprise  is  econO' 
mizing  the  fertile  products  of  the  East.  One  even- 
ing especially  remains  prominent  in  agreeable 
recollection,  when  I  dined  with  an  old  Boston 
friend.  The  table  was  spread  on  the  rear  veran- 
dah where  tho  trees  waved  close  to  us,  and  the  air 
was  full  of  delicious  odors  and  the  singing  of  in- 
sects, their  differing  notes  seeming  like  tunes. 
Truly  life  in  Singapore  is  fascinating. 

There  were  a  number  of  American  vessels  here 
waiting  for  freights  to  improve  in  different  port? 
of  the  East.  In  order  to  save  expense  they  desired 
to  discharge  their  crews,  but,  three  months'  extra 
pay  being  required  by  the  consul,  they  either  had 
to  add  to  the  lack  of  employment  the  further  in- 
fliction of  supporting  an  unprofitable  crew,  or 
drive  the  men  to  desertion  by  acts  of  cruelt}^  and 
oppression.  Every  day  almost  thfere  was  some  row 
in  the  harbor  on  board  an  American  s])ip,  and  this 


THREE  months'  EXTEA  PAY.      185 

law  and  its  results  was  a  conHnual  topic  of  tlis* 
cussion. 

In  a  work  entitled  "  Among  our  Sailors,"  the 
author,  Di.  J.  Grey  Jewell,  formerly  Consul  at 
Singapore,  speaks  at  some  length  about  the  law 
requiring  three  months'  extra  pay  for  seamen  dis- 
cluirged  abroad,  and  concludes :  "  I  am  convinced 
that  the  law  is  a  good  one  and  that  it  should 
stand." 

During  some  years'  experience  in  command  of 
vessels  1  formed  the  opinion  that  this  is  not  a  good 
law,  and  further  that  there  is  no  enactment  con- 
cerning our  merchant  marine  so  injurious  to  sailors, 
so  vexatious  to  shipmasters,  so  unjust  to  shi^)- 
owners,  or  so  corrupting  to  its  executors  in  its  in- 
fluences. I  believe  most  of  those  familiar  with  its 
operations  will  approve  of  my  pronouncing  it  a 
great  curse.  This  law  was  made  in  the  beginning 
of  the  century,  when  Americans  manned  our  ships, 
and  when  these  vessels  visited  ports  seldom  fre- 
quented, where  the  discharge  of  a  seaman  might 
often  leave  him  in  destitution,  with  no  means  of 
returning  home.  Now  our  ships  are  chiefly 
manned  by  foreigners,  who  are  more  at  home  in 
foreign  ports  than  in  those  on  our  own  shores, 
where  only  we  may  discharge  them;  and  com- 
merce has  become  so  extended  that  few  places  are 
visited  by  ships  whence  ready  exit  may  not  be  ob- 
tained,   — 

Some  instances  of  the  operation  of  this  law  will 


186  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET,  ^ 

best  explain   its  evils.     A  European   crew   were 
shipped  in  an  American  vessel  at  San    PVancisco 

for  a  voyage  to  Liverpool,  the  shipping  articles 
containing  tlie  clause,  made  customary  by  the  law 
prohibiting  discharge  of  seamen  abroad,  ''and 
thence  to  a  final  port  of  discharge  in  the  United 
States."  At  Liverpool  the  men  wished  to  leave 
and  return  to  their  homes  in  Norwaj'-  and  Ger- 
many, or  sail  on  other  voyages.  The  ship  was  to 
remain  for  several  weeks  in  Liverpool  and  then 
sail  for  San  Francisco  again,  and  the  men  had  no 
desire  to  go  in  that  direction.  Wages  in  Liver- 
pool were  lower  than  those  paid  this  crew  from 
California,  so  the  shipowner's  interest  demanded 
that  he  should  not  be  obliged  to  support  and  pay  a 
useless  crew  for  the  weeks  his  ship  was  idle,  and 
that  he  should  be  allowed  to  man  her  for  a  new 
voyage  at  the  lowest  rate  of  wages.  On  applica- 
'  tion  to  the  Consul  by  the  captain  and  sailors,  in- 
formation was  given  that  the  crew  might  be  dis- 
charged, but  one  month's  pay  must  be  given  to  the 
Consul,  and  two  months'  pay  extra  to  each  sea- 
man. The  crew,  in  order  to  be  released,  offered  to 
return  the  two  months'  pay  to  the  captain,  after 
signing  a  receipt  for  it,  but  the  captain,  desiring  to 
avoid  the  unjust  imposition  altogether,  gave  the 
wages  to  the  mate,  who  privately  handed  them  to 
the  sailors,  and  they  took  their  departure.  The 
captain  next  reported  to  the  Consul  under  oath, 
that  his  crew  had  deserted  without  his  knowledge 


TUREE   MONTHS'    EXTRA  PAY.  187 

or  consent,  but  the  Consul,  finrling  out  that  the 
wen  had  received  tlieir  money,  insisted  on  the  pay- 
ment of  one  month's  wages  at  his  ofBce.  Another 
vessel  shij^ped  a  crew  at  San  Francisco  to  be  dis- 
cliiirged  at  Liverpool,  but  still  this  extra  payment 
was  required. 

A  few  years  since  a  dozen  American  ships,  one 
of  them  inder  my  command,  arrived  at  a  port  in 
Asia.  The  trade  they  were  engaged  in  was  de- 
pressed and  they  were  doomed  to  remain  idle  for 
several  months.  The  ships  were  manned  by  for- 
eigners, and  the  captains  deemed  it  tlieir  duty  to 
tlie  owners  to  avoid  paying  and  feeding  full  crews 
for  several  months,  when  they  had  no  need  of  their 
services.  Steamers  and  vessels  in  various  trades 
were  arriving  and  departing  daily,  affording  oppor- 
tunity for  the  men  to  obtain  employment  and  leave 
tlie  port.  Application  was  made  to  the  Consul  for 
permission  to  discharge  the  crews,  which  was  given 
oil  condition  of  compliance  with  the  three  months'  • 
pay  law.  This  no  one  cared  to  do;  and  the  "fair 
moans"  being  deemed  unfair  to  the   owner  foul 

means  were  employed.     The  captain  of  the  S 

told  his  men  they  had  better  leave,  but,  hoping  to 
Reciire  the  two  months'  extra  pay,  they  declined. 
Orders  were  given  to  the  mate  to  work  them  up 
and  drive  them  out  of  the  ship.  He  accordingly 
hung  planks  over  the  ship's  side,  one  foot  under 
water,  and  made  the  sailors  stand  on  them  and 
scrub  the  ship's  copper  with  sand,  keeping  them 


188  ON   BOARD  THE  KOCHET. 

always  on  the  sunny  side  of  the  ship.  It  was  the 
month  of  June.  The  tropical  sun  poured  upon 
the  men's  heads,  while  their  feet  were  in  the  water, 
and  glanced  upoA  their  bodies  from  the  copper 
they  were  polishing,  giving  no  small  torment. 
One  man  ventured  to  go  on  deck  and  complain, 
hut  the  smart  mate  soon  thrashed  him  into  submis- 
sion.    That  night  half  of  the  crew  deserted. 

Attached  to  the  Consul's  office  was  a  shipping- 
master,  who  gave  personal  attention  to  all  details 
of  business  connected  with  crews,  the  Consul 
merely  expounding  the  laws  to  inquirers  in  his 
inner  office,  and  maintaining  the  dignity  of  tlie 
U.  S.  Government  in  a  general  way.  The  ship- 
ping-master was  in  close  alliance  with  the  police  of 
the  place,  and  the  arrest  of  the  deserters  from  the 

S was  soon  reported  to  him.    He   thereupon 

informed  the  captain  that  the  men  must  be  re- 
ceived on  board  again,  but  by  mutual  agreement 
a  certain  sum  was  paid  to  the  shipping  master  for 
each  man,  and  they  were  reported  to  the  Consul  as 
deserters.  The  remainder  of  the  crew  were  soou 
got  rid  of,  and  the  rest  of  the  ships  followed  suit, 
paying  $10  to  $15  per  man  to  the  shipping-master. 

My  o\vn  crew  were  much  attached  to  their  sliip 
and  were. unwilling  to  leave.  I  would  not  allow 
them  to  be  oppressed  in  order  to  drive  them  away, 

r 

and  the  owners  were  forced  to  submit  to  the 
expense  of  maintaining  a  large  ci*ew,  besides  the 
loss  occasioned  by  the  idleness  of  the  ship.     After   j 


THREE  months'  EXTRA  PAY.      189 

some  time,  half  of  the  crew,  knowing  that  they 
were  not  wanted*,  and  were  only  a  burden,  con- 
sented to  leave ;  but  the  Consul,  in  reply  to  the 
application,  held  up  the  three  months'  pay  law,  and 
my  choice  was  to  keep  the  men  or  pay  six^  dollars 
each  besides  the  wages  due. 

In  this  dilemma  the  shipping  master  offered  to 
allow  the  men  to  "  desert,"  upon  my  paying  him 
fourteen  dollars  apiece,  which  was  to  be  called 
"  two  weeks'  board." 

I  felt  compelled  in  justice  to  my  owners'  interest 
to  adopt  this  plan,  and  connive  at  the  rascality  by 
which  an  unjust  law  was  evaded  by  those  entrusted 
with  its  enforcement.  The  matter  was  arranged  so 
as  to  do  no  violence  to  my  conscience  in  the  matter 
of  oath  and  declaration  of  desertion. 

This  shipping  master,  after  a  short  term  of  ser- 
vice was  able  to  buy  a  half  interest  in  a  large 
ship,  and  probably  approves  of  the  three-months* 
pay  law.  The  previous  Consul  is  said  to  have 
taken  away  eighty  thousand  dollars  after  a  few 
years'  residence. 

The  owners  of  the  ship  I  commanded  are  a  firm 
on  whom  Dr.  Jewell,  in  the  above-mentioned  work, 
has  cast  severe  aspersions,  and  it  is  due  to  them  to 
say  that  at  the  close  of  the  voyage,  while  admitting 
that  a  less  humane  captain  would  have  made  a 
more  economical  voyage,  they  thoroughly  approved 
of  my  principles,  and  said  they  did  not  mind  losing 
a  thousand  dollars  now  and  then  in  support  of 


190  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET, 

them.     They  however  remarked  that  Capt. ^ 

who  was  a  notorious  sailor  driver,  sailed  his  ships 
cheaper  than  any  other  captain  in  their  employ,  as 
he  never  had  a  sailor  remaining  by  the  vessel  in 
port.  A^few  weeks  after  this  conversation  it  hap- 
pened   that   news   was   received   that  Capt. 's 

ship  had  put  into  Rio  Janeiro  with  a  mutinous 
crew,  and  some  of  the  sailors  had  been  shot  by  the 
captain.  Considerable  expense  and  delay  to  the 
voyage  was  caused  by  this,  and  the  owners  were 

overheard  to  say  that  Capt.  should  never  have 

another  chance  to  put  one  of  their  ships  into  port 
in  distress.  They  saw  that  the  question  of  economy 
was  not  always  against  the  "  humane  captain." 

The  above  facts,  selected  as  samples  from  a 
multitude,  illustrate  the  assertion  that  the  three 
months'  pay  law  is : 

First,  An  occasion  for  the  exercise  of  much 
cruelty  to  the  sailor,  and  often  obliges  him  to  have 
the  disgrace  of  desertion  attached  to  his  name,  in 
order  to  secure  the  release  from  his  ship  which  his 
interests  demand. 

Secondly,  It  obliges  captains  to  resort  to  wrong 
or  questionable  acts  to  secure  their  owners'  in- 
terests, and  involves  them  in  many  unpleasant 
controversies. 

Thirdly,  It  is  a  heavy  tax  on  the  ship-owner, 
and  is  one  among  several  causes  of  the  decay  ot 
our  commerce. 

Fourthly y  It  furnishes  great  temptation  to  corrupt 


THEEB  months'  EXTRA  PAY.       191 

action  on  the  part  of  consuls,  and  has,  in  too  many 
cases,  brought  disgrace  upon  the  flag  they  represent. 

What  remedy  is  there  ?  will  be  asked. 

In  1840  an  Act  was  passed  authorizing  consuls 
to  use  discretion  in  enforcing  the  law  in  cases  of 
discharge  by  mutual  consent.  This  in  1856  was 
repealed  and  the  law  is  now  strenuously  insisted 
on.  Some  other  nations  permit  the  free  discharge 
of  crews  where  good  reason  or  mutual  consent  is 
shown,  and  where  the  Government  is  assured  of 
freedom  from  expense.  Let  the  present  law  be 
wholly  repealed,  and  give  consuls  power  to  dis- 
charge men  freely,  where  satisfaction  is  given  that 
they  will  not  become  a  burden  upon  the  United 
States.  This  satisfaction  should  be  a  proof  of  the 
employment  or  shipment  of  the  sailors,  or  else  a 
deposit  of  money  for  a  limited  term,  or  a  bond  for 
the  payment  of  any  future  expenses  incurred,  which 
might  be  collect«^d  at  the  port  of  entry  in  the 
Um'ted  States. 


CHAPTER  VIL 


8INGAF0BE. 


LEAVING  Singapore  in  the  early  morning,  we 
turned  into  tlie  Strait  of  Malacca,  and  with 
perfectly  serene  weather  and  light  but  varying 
winds  we  slipped  easily  along  through  its  smooth 
waters.  The  land  was  always  in  sight,  with  its 
eternal  verdure,  and  often  we  glided  by  gems  of 
islets  that  were  beautiful  enough  to  grace  a  para- 
dise. "  Ete/nal  sunshine  gilds  "  these  shores,  and 
one  who  would  enjoy  the  dolcefar  niente  to  per- 
fection, should  have  his  easy  chair  on  a  good  ship's 
deck,  with  sheltering  awning  overhead,  and  sail  in 
the  N.  E.  monsoon  season  in  the  Eastern  Archi- 
pelago. 

Occasional  puffs  of  wind  favored  us,  and  in  the 
short  time  of  four  and  a  half  days  we  sighted  Pulo 
Penang,  and  ran  through  the  narrow  South  Chan- 
nel into  its  harbor. 

192 


PENANO.  193 

Penang  may  be  described  as  lovely  and  hot.  It 
is  situated  on  a  plain,  and  to  the  westward  and 
seaward  rises  a  high  mountain,  shutting  off  the 
sea  breezes,  which  might  refresh  the  heated  brow. 
This  mountain,  however,  is  a  noted  sanitarium,  and 
on  its  top  a  cool  climate  may  be  found,  which  is 
often  eagerly  sought  for  its  bracing  effects  upon 
the  heat-debilitated  frame.  The  American  Consul, 
a  worthy  Scotchman,  had  rented  a  bungalow  on  the 
summit  for  a  month.  He  kindly  invited  the  pas- 
senger and  myself  to  spepd  a  night  there  in  turn. 
The  passenger  went  first,  but  soon  the  sad  tidings 
were  brought  that  he  had  been  thrown  from  his 
horse  and  broken  his  neck.  The  authority  for  this 
statement  was  that  a  soldier  had  told  a  sailor  so. 
Both  professions,  fortunately,  were  at  fault  and  the 
passenger  returned  in  due  time  with  his  neck  in 
good  order.  His  only  explanation  of  the  report 
was  the  statement,  that  his  pony  was  so  small  that 
he  placed  his  feet  on  the  ground  and  let  the  ani- 
mal gallop  away  from  under  him. 

In  my  turn  I  ascended  the  hill,  and  spent  the 
night,  returning  in  the  cool  of  the  morning. 
The  deep  ravines  with  their  walls  of  verdure, 
the  bi^nutiful  views  of  the  island,  the  sea  and 
the  main  land  beyond,  the  delightful  coolness  of 
the  air,  the  wonderful  specimens  of  vegetation, 
such  as  the  air  plants,  hanging  luxuriantly  from 
the  branches  of  trees,  fed  by  the  air  and  rain  on 
ihcir  surfaces,  the  traveller's  palms,  with  stores  of 


194  ON  BOAliD  THE  ROCKET. 

fresh  water  kept  in  their  hollowed  leaves  for  tlie 
thirsty  wayfarer,  aud  the  tree-ferns,  twenty  feet  in 
height,  all  these  with  the  strangest  bird  melodies 
imaginable  made  the  trip  one  of  enchantment. 
One  bird  and  a  beetle  made  noises  like  a  sawmill, 
another  bird  sang  the  scale  descending  —  five  notes 
at  least,  and  still  another  sang  it  ascending.  One 
more  imitated  the  sound  of  a  bell.  At  the  foot  of 
the  waterfall  that  descends  the  mountain,  baths 
are  established.  The  Europeans  assemble  there  in 
the  evening  and  after  the  external  application  of 
water,  too  frequently  take  an  internal  application 
of  "  brandy  cocktails." 

The  military  band  plays  weekly  on  the  "  Sepoy 
Plain,"  back  of  the  town,  and  a  pleasant  gathering 
of  the  residents  takes  place. 

An  orphan-house  and  mission  was  being  carried 
on  here  by  some  devoted  English  missionaries,  who, 
like  their  friend  Mr.  Miiller  of  Bristol,  working 
independently  of  Societies,  looked  to  the  Lord  to 
provide.  Their  Christian  fellowship,  and  the  hours 
spent  in  searching  the  Scriptures  with  them,  were 
precious  privileges. 

We  were  a  fortnight  here,  loading  tin,  nutmegs, 
mace,  tapioca  and  India  rubber,  and  then  sailed  for 
Padang,  where  we  were  to  complete  our  cargo 
with  coffee  and  cassia. 

We  beat  out  from  Penang  against  a  head  wind, 
and  with  a  slant  reached  across '  the  Strait  of 
Malacca.    We  then  found  light  breezes  to  waft  us 


NEARLY  SIIIPVVrwECKED.  195 

along  the  north  coast  of  Sumatra,  "the  Pepper 
Coast,"  as  it  was  known  to  our  East  India  mer- 
chants of  Boston  and  Salem  in  earlier  days.  A 
pleasing  change  here  occurred  in  the  landscape. 
It  is  so  rare  to  see  ground  not  covered  with  verdure 
in  these  regions,  that  the  sight  of  Golden  Mountain 
near  the  north-west  point  of  Sumatra  was  quite  a 
treat.  It  is  a  finely-formed  peak  and  has  much 
bare  ground  on  its  sides,  which  appears  golden  in 
the  intense  sunlight.  This  was  an  enjoyable  day, 
but  an  anxious  night  followed.  We  were  sailing 
pleasantly,  with  all  studding-sails  set,  through  the 
passage  between  Pulo  Way  and  Pulo  Rondo,  twelve 
miles  wide,  when  at  midnight  the  wind  died  away 
and  the  current  swept  us  toward  the  island.  There 
was  no  wind  to  make  the  vessel  steer,  a  cast  of  the 
lead  proved  there  was  no  bottom  at  sixty  fathoms, 
so  we  could  not  anchor,  and  an  inspection  of  chart 
and  sailing  directions  showed  that  the  rocks  arose 
perpendicularly  from  deep  water.  No  human  de- 
vice could  save  us  frcu  shipwreck,  and  unless  a 
breeze  sprang  up  off-shore  our  bark  would  soon 
break  in  pieces  against  the  rocks.  For  this  breeze 
I  earnestly  prayed.  All  hands  were  called  on 
deck ;  a  long  length  of  chain  was  overhauled  with 
the  intention  of  letting  go  the  anchor  at  the  last 
moment,  in  the  forlorn  hope  of  its  finding  bottom, 
and  then  the  crew  were  stationed  at  the  bracea 
ready  to  trim  the  yards  the  moment  a  breath  of  air 
might  be  perceived.     I  stood  at  the  stern  watching 


196  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

the  Hearing  approach  of  the  dread  rocks,  which  now 
loomed  through  the  darkness  in  frightful  proximity, 
and  wetting  a  forefinger  I  held  it  out  to  catch  the 
first  trace  of  a  l^reeze,  but  in  vain  ;  until,  when  the 
last  hope  was  about  to  expire,  and  a  few  minutes 
more  were  expected  to  seal  our  doom,  I  perceived 
the  faintest  air  imaginable  breathing  off  the  land. 
The  yards  were  immediately  braced,  and  the  effect 
was  to  turn  the  vessel's  head  from  the  shore.  I 
dropped  a  fishing-line  over  the  stern,  and  watched 
to  see  if  it  would  trail  out ;  but  it  hung  up  and 
down  showing  that  the  vessel  had  no  headway. 
Soon,  however,  an  additional  breath  came,  then  a 
little  puff,  and  to  my  exceeding  joy,  I  felt  the  line 
give  a  slight  pull  at  my  fingers  as  it  stretched  out 
into  the  wake  Then  the  water  rippled  along  past 
the  rudder  and  we  slowly  but  surely  glided  away 
from  the  dangerous  coast.  Among  many  recollec- 
tions of  peril  and  anxiety,  that  calm  hour,  when  in 
utter  helplessness  we  looked  destruction  in  the 
face,  will  remain  prominent  for  its  intense  emotion, 
and  the  occasion  it  gave  for  thanksgiving  to  the 
Hearer  of  prayer. 

The  West  coast  of  Sumatra  is  faced  by  an  in- 
numerable number  of  islets,  rocks  and  shoals,  out- 
side of  which  lie  a  chain  of  larger  islands.  We 
kept  out  in  the  open  sea  until  off  Padang,  pre- 
ferring a  more  circuitous  but  safer  route  than  the 
direct  passage  along  shore.  Here  we  could  sail 
day  and  night,  without  anchoring  when  darkness 


C     vrC;-' 


Despair— Off  ru(lun<r  for  six  duvs 


WEST   COAST   OF   SUMATRA.  109 

or  squalls  hid  the  way.  But  our  progress  was 
slow  and  the  passage  became  tedious  and  trying. 
In  the  day  time  light  airs  and  calms  prevailed, 
the  hot  sun  poured  down  its  rays  with  scorching 
intensity,  and  the  air  was  so  clear  that  we  once 
saw  a  peak  one  hundred  and  six  miles  distant. 
At  night  heavy  squalls  of  wind  burst  upon  us, 
with  torrents  of  rain  and  terrific  peals  of  thunder ; 
the  balls  of  fire,  called  by  the  sailors  corposants, 
blazed  at  the  mast-heads,  and  the  lightning  was  in- 
cessant. When  sixteen  days  out  from  Penang  we 
sailed  through  Siberet  Straits,  and  the  next  even- 
ing just  at  dark  we  were  within  fifteen  miles  of  our 
anchorage  at  Padang.  A  dark  squally  night  pre- 
vented our  running  in,  and  a  heavy  N.  W.  gale 
and  southerly  current  drove  us  a  few  milei^  south 
of  the  port.  For  the  next  six  days  we  were  hard 
at  work  trying  to  make  these  few  miles,  but  as  soon 
as  we  gained  a  little,  a  calm  prevailed  and  the  cur- 
rent set  us  back  again.  The  water  was  too  deep 
for  anchorage  and  we  were  entirely  dependent  on 
the  wind,  which,  however,  coquetted  with  us  till 
endurance  almost  ceased  to  belong  to  our  virtues. 
The  captain's  state  of  mind  as  he  descended  bare- 
fo  ced  to  the  cabin  after  having  stood  on  deck  in  a 
rain  squall,  which  was  vainly  expected  to  bring  a 
breeze,  may  be  suspected  by  a  glance  at  our  artist's 
sketch  of  the  posture  assumed  upon  the  cabin 
sofa. 
Six  days  of  this  harassing  work  made  me  so  des* 


200  ON  BOAED  THE   ROCKET. 

perate  that  I  took  advantage  of  a  long  continued 
squall  to  run  in  a  dark  night  along  the  dangerous 
reefs,  and  guided  only  by  the  roar  of  the  breakers 
gained  a  position,  from  which  the  next  day  we 
were  able  to  woik  into  Padang  Roads  and  anchor 
inside  of  the  beautiful  Island  ''  Pulo  Pisang,"  or 
Banana  Isle. 

After  safely  anchoring  afc  our  long  desired 
haven,  a  crew  of  native  boatmen  manned  the 
bark's  boat  and  pulled  me  to  the  town  of  Padang 
two  miles  distant.  We  rounded  Apenberg,  the 
hill  to  which  its  chattering  monkeys  have  given  a 
name,  and  ascended  a  river  a  short  distance  to  the 
landing  place. 

When  the  preliminaries  of  business  were  trans- 
acted, ray  consignee  kindly  invited  me  to  reside  at 
his  house,  and  I  enjoyed  the  change  from  a  cabin 
to  a  luxurious  home.  At  daylight  I  visited  the 
vessel,  returning  on  shore  after  breakfast.  The 
house  was  built  of  wood  with  wide  verandahs  in 
front  and  rear.  Posts  about  six  feet  high  sup- 
ported it  from  the  ground,  leaving  a  space  under 
the  house  for  air  to  circulate,  and  rogues  also  as  it 
proved ;  for  a  few  weeks  before  my  arrival  a  rob- 
bery occurred,  and  it  is  supposed,  in  this  way. 
The  thieves  went  under  the  house  and  bored  holes 
in  the  floor  of  the  sleeping  room,  through  which 
they  introduced  the  smoke  obtaiijed  by  burning 
the  leaves  of  a  narcotic  plant.  The  inmate  being 
stupefied,  the  thieves  broke  in  at  the  front  door. 


^ 


PADANG.  201 

robbed  the  house  and  took  awa}'^  an  iron  safe  that 
was  chained  to  the  bed  of  the  sleeper.  They  were 
so  sure  of  their  work  that  they  stopped  in  the 
garden  to  open  the  safe,  but  being  unable  to  do 
this,  they  carried  it  to  the  beach  and  buried  it  in 
the  sand,  where  it  was  found  the  next  day  with  its 
contents  intact,  except  a  few  small  articles  of  jew- 
elry, which  the  thieves  had  managed  to  shake  out 
through  a  small  opening  they  had  made.  New 
York  or  London  could  hardly  surpass  this.  Many 
thought  the  house  servants  must  have  been  abet- 
tors, as  they  were  accustomed  to  sleep  on  the  ver- 
andahs outside  the  thresholds  of  three  entrances 
to  the  house,  so  that  anyone  entering  must  step 
over  them.  Nothing  could  be  proved  against  them, 
and  we  repeatedly  had  occasion  to  step  over  their 
bodies  at  night  and  open  the  doors  when  returning 
at  late  hours,  and  at  such  times  entrance  was  often 
effected  without  disturbing  their  sound  slumbers. 

The  first  Sunday  in  port,  I  left  the  officers  to 
conduct  the  services  and  attended  the  Dutch 
church  on  shore.  I  asked  the  captain  of  a  Dutch 
vessel  to  accompany  me,  but  he  said:  "N'o,  it  is 
not  respectable  to  -go  to  church  here,  and  I  am 
ashamed  to."  I  told  him  our  Lord's  words  about 
those  who  are  ashamed  of  Him;  but  that  didn't 
trouble  him,  so  I  went  alone.  I  found  one  Euro- 
pean civilian  present,  but  not  one  lady,  and  some 
sokliers  and  half  castes.  They  first  sang  with 
gHiut  deliberation  a  Psalm  from  a  book  which  had 


202  ON   DOAliD  THE  ROCKET. 

the  notes  printed  over  each  line ;  then  followed  a 
prayer,  hymn,  half  of  the  sermon,  two  contribu- 
tions, the  remainder  of  the  sermon  a  hymn  and 
benediction.  During  the  sermon  any  one,  who  felt 
tired  of  sitting,  arose  and  stood  for  a  while.  After 
service  I  spoke  to  the  minister  in  the  ante-room. 
He  and  all  the  men  lit  their  cigars,  and  after  a 
short  chat  and  smoke  they  all  went  puflBng  towards 
home.  The  next  Sunday  I  gladly  went  on  board 
and  was  refreshed  by  the  cheerful  vigor  with  which 
'i'he  sailors  sang  the  hymns:  '' When  I  survey  the 
V7ondrous  cross,"  and, ''Just  as  I  am,  without  one 
plea."  The  services  were  held  on  deck  and  the 
singing  must  have  rung  over  the  harbor.  Return- 
ing on  shore,  I  called^  on  board  of  a  Dutch  bark 
and  found  a  party  assembled,  among  whom  was 
the  organist  of  the  church,  all  drinking  brandy 
and  smoking,  the  minister  being  absent  from  town 
that  day. 

One  day  I  attended  the  ordination  of  a  Malay 
(Mohannnedan)  [vriest.  The  Mohammedan  religion 
is  here  intermingled  with  many  of  the  ideas  and 
[)ractices  of  heathendom,  and  it  is  the  custom  to 
test  the  worthiness  of  the  candidate  for  the  priest- 
hood by  placing  around  his  waist  a  band  contain- 
ing long  needles  with  the  points  against  his  abdo- 
men. He  then  at  a  given  signal  runs  toward  an 
appointed  goal.  The  people  give  chaso  and  en- 
deavor to  strike  the  needles  inwards  and  kill  him. 
If  he  escapes,  he  is  deemed  to  have  established  his 


THE  HEATHEN.  203 

fitness  for  the  office,  thus  making  legs  and  not 
heads  or  hearts  the  necessary  qualifications.  On 
this  occasion  the  Dutch  soldiers  were  present  in 
force  to  prevent  this  barbarity,  and  the  ceremony 
was  restricted  to  a  procession,  praying  and  reading 
the  Koran. 

There  are  few  places  in  the  world  as  lovely  as 
Padang.  The  evening  drives  along  the  roads 
bordered  b}^  the  tall  arcliing  "arrow  trees,"  with 
views  of  ocean  and  mountains  on  citlier  hand,  are 
amongst  the  most  charming  recollections  I  retain 
of  any  land  where  I  have  wandered.  Kindly  hos- 
pitalities join  to  heighten  such  charms. 

The  interior  of  Sumatra  is  most  wonderful. 
There  you  enjoy  a  temperate  climate,  Swiss  and 
tropical  scenery  combined,  an  eternal  spring  and  a 
fertility  of  soil  almost  beyond  belief.  The  sugges- 
tion made  to  me,  of  taking  a  plantation,  raising 
coffee  and  leading  a  life  of  exile  in  a  paradise, 
might  have  been  very  tempting,  but  for  the  restric- 
tions the  Dutch  government  imposes  upon  all 
trade  and  enterprises,  and  the  obstacles  presented 
by  the  uncouth  Dutch  language. 

Here  "  every  prospect  pleases  "  and  man  is  no  viler 
than  he  is  elsewhere.  Contact  with  the  natives  of 
Asia  and  the  East  Indies  has  raised  my  opinion  of 
*'the  heathen."  The  average  of  them  appear  as 
virtuous  and  upright  as  the  mass  of  men  in  Chris- 
tian lands.  I  have  really  seen  less  frequent  display 
of  vice  than  I  have  in  our  cities,  and  have  noticed 


204  ON   BOARD   THE   KOGKET. 

many  pleasant  exhibitions  of  family  affection, 
kindness  and  honesty.  The  people  in  the  interior 
of  Sumatra  are  represented  as  being  remarkable 
for  virtue,  temperance  and  integrity;  and  even  on 
the  coast  they  must  be  admitted  to  compare  very 
favorably  with  the  foreigners  about  them,  whom  it 
is  said  they  speak  of  contemptuously  among  them- 
selves as  "drunken  Europeans;"  but  they  readily 
contract  their  vices.  Christianity  unquestionably 
elevates  all  whom  it  reaches,  but  our  civilization 
alone  has  proved  no  moral  blessing  to  those  who 
have  experienced  its  influences  in  the  distant 
regions  of  the  earth. 

After  lying  at  Padaixg  for  a  few  days  a  bark  ap- 
peared in  the  oflBng,  and  with  the  spy-glass  I  dis- 
covered that  she  had  our  owner's  flag  at  the  main. 
I  started  for  her  in  my  boat,  introduced  myself  to 
the  captain  and  piloted  him  into  an  anchorage. 

Capt.  Blowliard  was  a  stranger  to  me,  but  I  was 
much  pleased  to  have  the  companionship  of  a 
countryman  in  this  far-off  port.  As  we  passed  the 
Ho  elect,,  he  remarked  she  looked  very  well,  only  she 
was  rusty  outside.  We  had  finished  painting  her 
the  day  before,  so  this  comment  excited  my  sur- 
prise; but  I  soon  discovered  the  captain's  eye-sight 
was  defective,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  supplying 
him  with  a  pair  of  spectacles.  We  went  on  shore 
together,  and  I  introduced  him  to  his  consignee; 
but  the  polite  Dutchman  was  startled  at  seeing  the 
captain  swing  his  legs  over  the  arm  of  the  chair 


CAPTAIN   HLOWHAllD.  20t5 

and  monopolize  all  the  talk  with  boasts  about  his 
clipper  bark  and  her  performances.  In  the  even- 
ing I  took  him  to  drive,  and  attempted  to  point  out 
the  sights  of  the  place  and  the  beauty  of  the 
scenery,  but  his  attention  was  not  to  be  secured ; 
dujing  the  whole  of  the  drive  he  kept  his  face 
toward  me,  and  poured  forth  a  continuous  stream 
of  narrative  aud  self-adulation.  I  learned  that  he 
had  resigned  the  command  of  one  of  the  finest 
ships  in  the  world  to  serve  his  country.  He  passed 
highest  in  examination  on  Navigation,  was  ap- 
pointed executive  officer  of  a  large  frigate,  and 
soon,  for  his  valor,  was  given  the  command  of  a 
gunboat.  After  a  celebrated  naval  battle  his  ves- 
sel was  so  riddled  with  shot,  that  she  was  sent  to 
Alexandria  for  the  Government  to  inspect  as  a 
curiosity.  President  Lincoln  and  a  committee  from 
the  Senate  visited  her  and  gave  the  captain  public 

thanks  for  his  brave   conduct.     Commodore 

remarked  that  there  were  only  three  gentlemen  in 
the  Volunteer  Navy :  Smith,  Jones,  and  Blowhard. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  offered  a  position 
in  the  regular  Navy,  with  a  splendid  command,  but 
he  declined,  saying  he  only  had  desired  to  serve 
his  country,  and  he  wished  no  reward.  I  was 
much  impressed  with  all  this  information,  and  his 
invitation  to  breakfast  on  board  the  next  morning, 
with  so  brave,  polite  and  magnanimous  a  man, 
inspired  me  with  gratitude  and  awe.  I  went  on 
board  to  breakfast  and  was  politely  received.     Hia 


206  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCICET. 

politeness  was  then  exercised  towards  his  steward 
who,  being  unable  to  find  the  napkins  (which  prob- 
ably were  not  often  used,)  was  led  around  the 
cabin  by  the  ear  until  they  were  discovered,  the 
captain  remarking  to  me,  "He's  a  good-natured 
nigger  or  he'd  have  been  killed  long  ago."  The 
meal  was  enlivened  by  frequent  abuse  of  this  poor 
darkey,  and  I  was  not  sorry  when  it  was  time  to 
go  on  shore.  We  went  in  the  same  boat,  and  as 
the  captain  continuall}^  talked  with  his  face  toward 
me,  I  perceived,  what  I  certainly  thought  were  the 
fumes  of  whiskey ;  but  I  discovered  the  injustice  I 
luid  done  him,  after  a  while,  when  he  remarked,  "I 
bought  some  Cologne  at  Batavia,  and  it's  the  queerest 
stuff  I  ever  saw ;  it  smells  just  like  whiskey.  I  put 
some  on  my  handkerchief  just  before  I  left  the 
vessel,  and  I  tho^ight  I'd  mention  it  to  you  lest 
you  might  think  I'd  been  drinking,  which  I  never 
do."  This  should  be  a  warning  to  temperance 
men  to  be  careful  in  their  choice  of  eau  de  co- 
logne. We  dined  together  at  the  hotel  that  day, 
and  the  captain  entertained  the  whole  company 
with  his  conversation.  At  one  time,  addressing  a 
remark  to  a  young  Dutch  officer,  the  latter  replied: 
"No  speak  Engleesh,''  when  the  captain  rejoined: 
"Every  gentleman  speaks  English.'*  The  officer 
understood  this  and  accepted  it  as  an  insult. 
Withdrawing  from  the  table  he  found  friendly 
assistance  in  concocting  an  English'  note,  challeng- 
ing the  captain  to  fight  a  duel  with  broadswords. 


HOMEWARD   BOUND.  207 

But  this  met  with  no  response  from  the  captain. 

Our  friendship  did  not  grow,  and  the  sentiment 
of  kindred  nationality  failed  to  continue  in  its 
first  ardor. 

On  Sunday  afternoons  we  had  services  on  deck, 
under  the  awning.  I  invited  Capt.  Blowhard  and 
his  crew ;  but  the  captain  said  he  didn't  approve  of 
letting  the  crews  of  different  vessels  mix  together, 
so  we  held  our  meetings  by  ourselves,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  Dutch  sailors  from  a  neighboring 

vessel.     As  the  Rocket  and  the  "  F "  were  both 

homeward  bound  and  in  the  same  employ  we  felt 
much  rivalry  about  the  passage  and  some  interest- 
was  excited  among  the  merchants  over  the  anticipa- 
ted race.     As  the  "  F "  was  reported  the  fastest 

vessel  and  her  captain  was  certainly  the  most  dash- 
ing man,  the  bets  were  in  her  favor.  Having  less 
cargo  to  take  in,  she  was  loaded  first  and  got  three 
days  start  of  us. 

One  calm  morning  we  drifted  out  of  Padang 
Roads  and  slowly  worked  our  way  southward  in 
searcii  of  the  Trades :  but  when  obtained,  pleasant 
breezes  and  fine  weather  favored  us.  After  pass- 
ing Mauritius  we  took  "  a  streak  "  of  strong  S.  E. 
and  E.  winds  which  put  a  new  face  upon  matters. 
Our  dull  start  had  made  us  feel  hopeless  about  the 
nice,  but  now  we  seemed  to  be  gaining  time  and 

the  thought  of  the  "F "ahead  kept  sail  from 

coming  in  many  a  time  when  prudence  suggested 
it.    Every  thing  was  cracked  on  and  two  topmast 


208  ON    nOAUD    THE   ROCKET. 

studdingsail  booms  were  carried  away  within 
twenty-four  hours.  But  they  were  immediately  re- 
placed, and  on  we  sped  ten  kiiots  an  hour,  feeling 
we  were  going  very  fast,  except  when  now  and 
then  an  English  tea  clipper  came  up  astern  and 
passed  out  of  sight  ahead. 

I  learned  at  sea  that  there  had  been  one  disagree- 
ment on  board  during  my  absence  on  shore  at 
Padang.  A  sailor,  called  Harry,  being  reproved 
for  something  by  the  mate,  gave  a  back  answer. 
Then  being  threatened,  he  said  :  *'  I'm  not  afraid  ; 
you  ain't  bigger  than  a  pint  of  cider,  anyway." 
This  was  an  insult  that  seemed  warrant  enough 
for  a  fight,  and  few  officers  could  have  resisted  it. 
I  was  pleased  to  learn,  that  in  spite  of  this  great 
provocation,  the  mate  had  restrained  his  impulses, 
in  obedience  to  my  orders,  and  had  succeeded 
eventually  in  controlling  the  man. 

When  the  cooler  weather  again  drove  us  to  the 
cabin  in  the  evening,  the  passenger  lent  his  patient 
ear  to  the  story  of  "  Another  voyage  in  the  '  Dub- 
lin.'" 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


» 


ANOTHER   VOYAGE  IN   THE    "DUBLIN. 


ABOUT  three  weeks  after  I  left  the  "  Dublin" 
a  letter  came  on  from  Capt.  Streeter,  saying 
that  the  ship  was  going  to  load  a  cargo  of  tobacco 
and  staves  at  Baltimore  for  Amsterdam,  and  asking 
me  to  go  with  him  as  second  mate.  I  had  almost 
hoped  the  offer  would  not  come,  for  v/henevor  the 
scenes  of  the  last  voyage  had  been  recalled  to  my 
mind,  in  the  midst  of  the  delightful  and  elevated 
associations  of  home,  I  had  shuddered  as  though 
the  veil  of  a  lower  world  had  been  drawn  aside, 
and  its  enormities  and  fiendish  spirit  had  been 
disclosed  to  me.  1  could  scarcely  summon  courage 
to  return  to  it,  and  I  also  felt  that  it  might  be  my 
duty  to  avoid  a  sphere  of  such  temptation  and  bad 
influences.     On   the   other   hand,   I   had   scarcely 

enough  confidence  in  my  abilities  to  ship  as  second 

209 


210  ON   BOARD  THE   EOOKET, 

mate  with  a  stranger,  and  felt  from  what  I  had 
seen  and  heard  of  other  ships  that  there  was  a 
great  uncertainty  as  to  whether  a  change  would  be 
for  the  better,  and  this  could  only  be  proved  by 
experience.  With  some  misgivings  I  decided  to 
go.  I  liked  the  owner  so  much,  and  was  so  pleased 
by  the  interest  which  he  showed  toward  me,  that  1 
thought  it  desirable  to  keep  in  his  employ,  even 
though  I  found  things  were  not  just  to  my  mhid 
on  board  ship ;  and  the  owner's  assurances  that  the 
captain  would  improve,  relieved  my  apprehension 
«,  little,  though  I  knew  Capt.  Streeter's  smooth 
way  of  talking  too  well  to  place  much  dependence 
upon  it.  Still  the  captain  was  shrewd  enough  to 
know  on  which  side  his  bread  was  buttered,  and  if 
the  owner  had  told  him  as  he  said,  that  his  remain- 
ing in  the  ship  was  dependent  upon  his  good 
behavior,  it  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  his 
conduct  might  be  influenced  somewhat  by  this 
motive. 

A  week  later  witnessed  my  arrival  on  board  the 
''  Dublin."  The  captain  seemed  glad  to  see  me, 
but  Mr.  Howard  was  not  so  cordial,  and  appeared 
very  much  under  the  weather.  ' 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,"  said  he,  as  we  walked 
forward  together  to  have  a  chat,  "  I've  been  second 
mate  of  a  ship  a  long  time,  but  I  never  had  a  man 
treat  me  so  like  a  dog  as  Capt.  Streeter  's  done  since 
we've  been  in  port.  He  wanted  the  ship  scrubbed 
around  outside  as  soon  as  the  copper  got  out  of 


MK.  Howard's  co^rPLAiNT.  211 

water ;  an  J  a  man  offered  to  do  it,  and  paint  her 
beside,  for  ten  dollars,  when  the  regular  price  that 
other  ships  pay  is  twenty  dollars.  But  the  old 
man  kicked  up  '  Bob's  a  dying,'  and  swore  he 
wouldn't  pay  no  such  price ;  and  then  he  gave  me 
so  many  hints,  and  told  me  so  many  stories  about 
what  that  cursed  Mr.  Jones  of  his  used  to  do  in 
port,  that  at  last  I  offered  to  do  it  myself.  So  he 
hired  a  raft,  and  a  boy  to  help  me,  and  then  I 
scrubbed  the  ship  and  painted  her  bends  all  round. 
I  thought  that  would  satisfy  him,  but  as  long  as  I 
had  got  my  hand  into  dirty  work,  he  thought  he 
wouldn't  let  me  take  it  out,  and  he  had  the  face  to 
tell  me  to  go  over  the  bow  and  coal-tar  the  bob- 
stays,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  iron-work.  I  was 
just  fool  enough  to  do  it,  and  he's  kept  me  going 
ever  since  at  jobs  that  any  decent  captain  would 
hire  a  man  to  do ;  but  it's  about  played  out  now. 
He's  so  mean  he'd  skin  a  louse  for  its  hide  and 
tallow  ;  and  his  soul  is  so  small  you  could  punch 
the  pith  out  of  a  horse-hair  and  put  his  soul  inside, 
and  then  it  would  rattle  if  you  shook  it." 

I  did  not  try  to  soothe  him  very  much,  and 
rather  hoped  he  wouldn't  be  soothed  ;  for  the  pros- 
pect of  his  leaving  the  ship,  which  was  suggested 
by  the  tenor  of  his  remarks,  w^as  not  at  all  unpleas- 
ant to  me. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Howard  had  a  talk  with 
the  captain  in  the  cabin  after  breakfast,  and  then 
came  out  on  deck  to  where  I  was  standing  and 


212  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

said:  "  Mr.  A ,  Tra  going  to  leave  the  ship.*' 

*'Are  you?"  said  I,  greatly  astonished  but 
equally  pleased.     "  What  is  that  for? " 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you  why.  One  thing  is,  IVe  got 
si«k  of  the  old  man,  and  another  is  that  I  know 
Tm  not  competent  to  go  mate  of  a  ship,  for  I  don't 
know  no  more  about  navigation  than  that  windlass 
does,  and  the  first  time  the  old  man  got  mad  with 
me  at  sea,  he'd  heave  it  up  in  my  face,  for  all  he 
talks  so  fair  now  about  it's  not  making  an}^  differ- 
ence. But  another  thing  I'll  tell  you,  and  I  don't 
want  you  to  get  mad  with  me  for  saying  it,  for  I 
never  met  a  man  on  board  of  a  ship  that  I  liked 
any  better  than  I  do  you ;  I  don't  think  we  can 
get  along  together.  I'm  bound  to,  make  the  old 
shell-backs  toe  the  mark,  and  if  they  don't  do  it  I 
can't  talk  polite  to  'em.  I  wasn't  brought  up  to 
that  business.  But  whenever  I've  had  a  row  at 
sea  you've  hardly  spoken  to  me  for  a  week  after. 
Now  if  I  go  in  this  ship  again,  I  know  we  shall  be 
at  loggerheads  all  the  time,  and  it's  a  bad  job  for 
officers  of  a  ship  if  they  can't  sail  alongside  of 
each  other.  I've  got  a  chance  to  go  second  mate 
of  the  ship  "  Robert  Stan  wood,"  and  the  mate's  a 
man  just  like  myself,  and  we  can  hitch  horses. 
The  fact  is,  I've  too  much  respect  for  you  to  sail 
with  you.  You're  too  good  a  man  to  go  to  sea. 
It's  a  life  only  fit  for  a  rascal,  but  if  you're  bound 
to  go,  I  hope  you'll  get  along  wfell,  and  have  a 


MK.   HOWARD  LEAVES,  213 

mate  to  your  liking,  though  I  think  they  are  scarce 
fish  in  these  waters." 

I  was  certainly  pleased  at  Mr.  Howanl's  decision, 
but  was  much  touched  by  his  way  of  announcing  it. 

"I  don't  wonder  that  you  want  to  leave,  Mr. 
Howard,'*  I  replied  ;  "  but  it  would  be  more  for 
your  interest  to  stay,  and  if  you  make  uj)  your 
mind  not  to  be  quite  so  hard  on  sailors,  I  think  we 
can  get  along  pleasantly.  You  must  remember  it 
isn't  the  most  important  thing  in  a  man's  life  to 
make  sailors  run  the  mile  in  less  than  three  minutes, 
when  a  four-minute  pace  would  be  just  as  good  for 
the  ship  and  the  owners.  I  believe  in  making 
sailors  work  and  keep  in  their  place,  but  I  don't 
believe  in  giving  up  all  one's  good  principles  to  do 
it,  nor  do  I  think  it  is  necessary."  • 

"  Perhaps  not ;  you  and  me  has  been  brought 
up  very  different,  and  vv^e  must  go  our  own  way. 
I've  got  an  ugly  temper,  I  know ;  but  it's  there, 
and  it's  got  to  come  out.  When  you've  seen  as 
much  of  sailors  as  I  have,  maybe  you'll  think  the 
best  way  to  deal  with  'em  is  to  knock  'em  down.' 

Mr.  Howard  left  the  ship,  much  to  the  captain's 
sorrow ;  for  he  was  a  man  after  his  own  heart,  and 
he  hoped  he  had  at  last  found  officers  that  were 
willing  to  sail  with  him  on  a  second  voyage. 

The  ship  leaked  a  good  deal  even  in  port,  and 
by  the  captain's  orders  another  man  and  myself 
hud  to  pump  her  out,  involving  half  an  hour's 
work  morning  and  night  on  a  straight  wooden 


214  ON   BOABD  THE  ROCKET. 

pump  handle.  After  the  trouble  we  had  on  the 
lafst  passage,  I  was  astonished  that  new  pumps  had 
not  been  procured,  and  as  I  was  in  correspondence 
with  the  bookkeeper  in  the  owner's  office,  in  the 
course  of  a  friendly  letter  I  slipped  in  a  word  about 
the  pumps.  By  return  mail  a  letter  came  from  the 
owner,  telling  the  captain  to  get  the  best  pumps 
that  could  be  obtained.  He  told  me  this  without 
suspicion  of  my  agency  in  the  matter,  but  re- 
marked: "The  owner  is  very  ready  to  say  gei:  this 
or  that,  but  when  the  bills  come  in  he  would  find 
fault  about  the  heavy  disbursements.''  The  ship 
went  to  sea  without  them  and  I  felt  very  loth  to 
go  in  her,  for  the  only  explanation  that  occurred 
to  me  was,  that  the  captain  wanted  to  get  the  ship 
into  a  port  of  distress,  and  have  an  underwriter's 
job,  which  would  give  him  a  chance  to  enrich  his 
pockets  with  percentages. 

The  person,  who  came  to  undertake  the  mate's 
duties  for  the  voyage,  was  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
five  years,  named  Wright,  a  native  of  Baltimore. 
He  had  received  a  liberal  share  of  his  education  in 
the  streets,  and  was  familiar  with  the  peculiarities 
of '* Blood-tubs "  and  "Plug-uglies."  But  besides 
these  questionable  accomplishments  he  possessed 
a  tall,  manly  form,  a  handsome,  expressive  face,  and 
a  clear  eye,  which,  while  it  impressed  one  with  its 
determination,  also  implied  a  nature  that  despised 
meanness.  His  manners  were  quit^  gentlemanly, 
and  after  a  short  intercourse  with  him  I  felt  con* 


A  TIPSY  CREW.  216 

vinced  that  he  was  superior  in  natural  gifts  to  any 
man  I  had  yet  sailed  with ;  and  I  was  much  pleased 
with  the  change  of  mates. 

The  ship  had  loaded  a  full  cargo  of  Maryland 
tobacco,  wliich  comes  in  smaller  casks  than  the 
Virginia,  though  still  of  good  size,  weighing  up- 
wards of  nine  hundred  pounds.  Several  thousand 
staves  had  also  been  stowed  away,  to  fill  up  all  the 
spare  room,  and  the  ship's  stores  and  water  having 
been  taken  on  board,  she  was  ready  for  sea,  and  ac- 
cordingly received  the  crew,  and  proceeded  down 
the  Chesapeake  towards  the  sea. 

The  crew,  as  usual  upon  the  commencement  of 
a  voyage,  were  for  the  most  part  under  the  influ- 
ence of  liquor.  The  mate  was  very  reserved  in 
talking  about  sailors,  and  told  no  fighting  stories, 
which  I  thought  must  be  evidence  that  he  was  a 
peaceable  man,  and  as  they  came  over  the  rail  and 
staggered  into  the  forecastle,  he  had  remarked  to 
me:  "  We'll  have  'em  air  straight  in  a  day  or  two 
I  don't  like  a  drunken  row,  and  we  must  shut  our 
eyes  to  some  things  the  first  day." 

He  carried  out  these  precepts,  except  upon 
finding  a  young  Irishman  sitting  on  his  chest  in 
the  forecastle  while  all  the  other  sailors  were  at 
w  ork,  when  the  answer  that  was  given  to  the  order 
to  come  out  on  deck  was  the  brandishing  of  a 
sheath-knife  and  the  declaration  that  he  wasn't  go- 
ing to  work  "on  board  the  bloody  hooker."  The 
mate  settled  this  question  by  snatching  away  the 


216  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

knife,  hauling  the  man  on  deck,  and  hitting  hiiu 
two  or  three  cracks  with  a  belaying  pin,  and  the 
captain  seeing  it  showed  some  signs  of  reform  by 
shouting:  "That'll  do,  Mr.  Wright,  that'll  do  till 
we  get  outside." 

Leaving  the  pilot  off  the  Capes  of  Virginia,  the 
voyage  was  fairly  begun,  with  a  fresh  S.  W.  wind, 
which  increasing  to  a  strong  breeze  blew  after  us 
for  seven  days,  and  took  us  half  way  across  the 
Atlantic. 

I  now  stood  watch  alone  for  the  first  time,  and 
it  ►seemed  a  tremendous  responsibility  to  be  left  Id 
charge  of  the  ship  on  a  dark,  squally  night.  How 
a  person  could  become  so  unconcerned  as  to  fall 
asleep,  as  I  knew  Mr.  Howard  had  sometimes  done, 
was  more  than  I  could  understand.  I  found  a 
great  difference  between  a  second  and  third  mate's 
position.  When  I  was  in  the  latter,  I  had  only  to 
obey  orders  and  see  to  the  execution  of  work  de- 
signed by  my  superiors.  But  now  I  had  to  decide 
upon  such  matters  for  myself,  and  it  sometimes  set 
me  at  my  wits'  ends  to  find  work  to  keep  my  eight 
men  constantly  employed,  particularly  in  wet 
w^eather  when  sails  and  rigging  could  not  be 
worked  on.  It  had  seemed  easy  enough  when 
third  mate,  for  whenever  at  a  loss  I  could  fall  back 
on  the  mate  for  a  job.  But  now  when  the  watches 
were  changed  the  mate  would  start  me  with  some 
work  and  going  below  would  leave  me  to  get  along 
as  well  as  I  could. 


ship's  work.  217 

It  IS  customary,  as  a  general  thing,  for  the  mate 
to  take  special  charge  of  the  foremast  and  jib- 
boom,  and  the  second  mate  of  the  mainmast  and 
niizzenmast,  as  far  as  keeping  them  in  order  is 
concerned.  But  the  mate  keeps  the  general  super- 
vision of  the  work,  and  the  second  mate  would  not 
make  any  changes  of  consequence  without  the 
mate's  approval.  This  obliges  him  to  resort  to 
small  jobs  to  keep  his  men  employed  when  more 
extensive  work  fails,  and  they  are  apt  to  be  of  the 
character  denominated  "humbugging"  by  sailors, 
and  of  which  the  exponent  is  sawing  wood  with  a 
hammer.  Ifc  must  be  admitted  that  a  great  deal 
of  work  is  done  on  board  ship,  which  will  hardly 
bear  the  test  of  necessity.  But  the  men  must  be 
constantly  employed,  and  if  other  things  fail  the 
chain-cable  will  always  have  rust  enough  on  it  to 
admit  of  cleaning,  as  a  last  resort ;  and  if  some  who 
wonder  "  what  they  find  to  do  on  board  ship," 
could  have  spent  a  day  in  one  of  the  flash  Califor- 
nia clippers  of  a  few  years'  ago,  they  would  have 
seen  a  large  crew  busied  not  only  in  the  day-time, 
but  through  the  night,  scraping  eye-bolts  and  iron 
belaying-pins  till  they  shone  like  silver,  smoothing 
off  the  paint  work  by  rubbing  with  stones,  scraping 
other  parts  bright,  as  also  the  masts  and  yards,  and 
wearing  away  the  deck  with  holj'-stones,  as  well  as 
the  more  legitimate  work  of  making  and  taking  in 
sail,  bracing  yards  and  repairing  sails  and  ^igging. 

The  rule  of  labor  in  such  vessels  is  compilsied  ia 


218  ON  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

the  sailor's  "  Philadelphia  Catechism :  " 

"  Six  days  thou  shalt  labor  and  do  all  thou  art 
able ;  and  on  the  seventh,  holystone  the  decks  and 
pound  the  cable." 

I  found,  too,  that  it  was  rather  harder  to  get 
along  with  the  sailors.  Having  entire  control  of 
my  watch  I  took  much  more  interest  in  their  per- 
formance of  work,  and  any  laziness  or  stupidity 
excited  my  pugnacity  in  the  like  greater  proportion. 

The  crew,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  were  a 
poor  set  of  men ;.  ^ot  particularly  ugly  in  disposi- 
tion, but  ignorant,  thick-headed  and  lazy,  and  very 
trying  to  an  officer's  temper. 

The  captain  behaved  wonderfully  well,  and 
seemed  so  sincerely  endeavoring  to  restrain  his 
usual  sea  indulgences,  that  I  had  no  regret  at  my 
decision  in  making  the  voyage. 

The  mate  got  along  rather  quietly,  and  proved 
himself  to  be  a  very  eflBcient  officer ;  and  there  was 
something  in  his  calm,  decided  bearing  which  gave 
the  captain  great  confidence  in  him,  and  also  kept 
liim  somewhat  from  his  customary  interference 
with  mate's  duties.  He  bestowed  pretty  liberal 
attention  on  the  second  mate's  affairs,  however, 
and  used  to  make  me  understand  sometimes  what 
Mr.  Morrison  had  endured  the  previous  voyage. 

The  mate  was  not  harsh  with  the  sailors,  and 
carried  on  his  work  with  very  little  noise,  giving 
ordinary  orders  in  a  mild  tone.  But  still  he  was 
strict,  and  the  men  had  to  move  at  a  lively  pace 


SQUALLY  WEATHEB.  219 

and  be  wide  awake ;  and  sometimes  wLen  they 
failed  to  do  this,  he  did  not  resist  the  temptation 
of  sending  a  cnrse  and  a  belaying-pin  after  them, 
or  perhaps  giving  them  a  touch  of  a  rope's  end. 
There  was  nothing,  however,  like  Mr.  Howard's 
abuse  of  men,  and  if  a  sailor  did  come  in  for  a  rap, 
he  was  pretty  sure  to  be  in  the  wrong.  His  rela- 
tions to  me  were  very  pleasant.  When  relieving 
each  other  at  night,  if  no  work  was  going  on,  we 
had  a  short  chat,  or  the  mate  told  some  little  yarn 
about  the  Liverpool  packet  trade,  which  he  had 
sailed  in  a  good  deal. 

There  was  no  third  mate  this  voyage,  so  we  had 
to  depend  on  each  other  for  sociability. 

Though  it  was  the  month  of  August  the  weather 
was  blustering  and  changeable.  The  S.W.  wind 
which  had  favored  us  so  well  gave  place  to  north- 
erly and  easterly  winds,  with  unsettled  and  squally 
weather.  At  times  nearly  all  sail  would  be  set  to 
a  steady  breeze,  when  suddenly  the  black,  threaten- 
ing clouds  would  spring  up  from  the  horizon,  and 
with  only  a  few  minutes'  warning,  spread  over  the 
sky,  bursting  upon  the  ship  in  a  furious  gust,  while 
all  hands  would  be  at  work  clewing  up  and  hauling 
down  the  slatting,  booming  and  rustling  sails; 
and  officers  and  sailors  increased  the  noise  by  what 
would  seem  to  a  landsman  a  perfect  Babel  of  harsh 
orders  and  shrill  cries. 

Those  are  the  times  that  try  officers'  souls,  and 
vhe   times  that  test  the  sailors'  merit.    In  fine 


220  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

weather  a  little  laziness  or  ignorance  may  perhaps 
be  borne  patiently,  but  in  a  squall  there  is  no  for- 
giveness for  a  man  who  "hangs  back,"  or  '* doesn't 
know  what  he's  about." 

In  the  confusion  attending  these  squalls  some  of 
the  sailors  seemed  to  forget  what  little  they  knew, 
and  were  frequently  letting  go  the  wrong  ropes  or 
running  everywhere  except  to  the  place  where  they 
were  wanted.  The  captain's  good  resolutions  suc- 
cumbed to  this  pressure  so  far  as  to  allow  his  tongue 
to  regain  its  old  fluency  at  cursing ;  the  mate  was 
pretty  active  both  in  words  and  deeds ;  and  as  for 
the  second  mate,  he  used  to  bite  his  lips  pretty 
hard  to  keep  his  tongue  quiet. 

There  was  an  old  sailor  on  board  who  had  greatly 
attracted  my  interest,  partly  owing  to  the  circum- 
stances attending  his  coming  on  this  voyage,  and 
partly  because  of  his  good  nature  and  willingness 
to  work  as  well  as  his  feeble  energies  Avould  permit. 
He  was  now  fifty-two  years  old,  and  a  confirmed 
drunkard.  The  day  after  leaving  Baltimore  he 
came  to  the  steward,  as  he  was  about  going  into 
the  galley  with  a  pan  of  dough,  and  asked  him  if 
he  knew  where  the  ship  was  bound  to. 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  steward,  "  don't  you  ?  " 

He  shook  his  head,  and  the  steward  told  him : 
"  We're  going  to  Amsterdam." 

Old  Harry's  story  was  this:  He  was  the  son 
of  a  clergyman  in  Virginia,  and  when,  quite  young 
had  run  away  to  sea.    He  fell  into  bad  habits 


OLD   HARRY.  221 

which  prevented  his  rising  in  his  profession,  and 
for  years  he  had  been  drifting  about,  sometimes  in 
the  navy,  and  again  in  merchant  vessels.  Though 
he  had  occasionally  returned  to  his  friends,  his  appe- 
tite for  strong  drink  had  always  overcome  his  good 
resolutions,  and  he  had  long  ago  been  given  up  as  a 
hopeless  case.  He  had  a  brother  in  Norfolk,  well 
to  do,  who,  after  several  unsuccessful  efforts  of 
late  years  to  find  traces  of  Harry,  had  discovered 
his  last  voyage.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  ship  at 
Baltimore  he  had  sent  him  a  sum  of  money  to 
defray  his  expenses  home,  and  offered  to  give  hira 
a  shelter  and  support  him  for  the  rest  of  his  days. 
Old  Harry  was  glad  enough  to  accept  this  offer, 
for  he  was  now  quite  broken  down  in  health,  and 
in  his  sober  hours  at  sea  had  many  anxious  thoughts 
as  to  what  would  become  of  him  in  the  future. 
But  he  could  not  resist  the  inclination  for  another 
good  drink  before  he  started,  and  his  next  sensible 
moment  found  him  removed  from  the  den  in  Balti- 
more, where  he  had  been  carousing,  to  the  fore- 
castle, out  of  sight  of  land,  and  with  only  fifteen 
cents  in  his  pocket.  These  he  offered  to  the  stew- 
ard for  a  glass  of  whiskey,  with  most  imploring 
tones,  but  failed  to  obtain  it.  He  had  a  touch  of 
delirium  tremens^  and  after  getting  rid  of  the  devils 
who,  he  fancied,  were  tormenting  him,  he  was  in  a 
most  thoughtful  and  penitent  mood. 

A  twenty-two   days'  passage  brought  the  ship 
into  the  English  Channel.     Passing  through  the 


222  ON  BOAKD  THE  ROCKET. 

Straits  of  Dover  into  the  North  Sea,  the  wind 
hauled  to  the  northward  and  increased  to  a  fresh 
gale.  The  topsails  were  double-reefed,  and  the 
ship  slowly  forged  ahead,  though  making  some  lee- 
way, causing  the  captain  to  feel  anxious  about  the 
lee  shore,  which  was  in  sight  not  far  distant. 

The  Dutch  pilots  usually  cruise  about  Dungen- 
ess,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Straits,  but  not  hap- 
pening to  run  across  one,  Capt.  Streeter  was  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry  to  wait,  and  so  kept  on.  Now  he 
became  very  anxious  to  procure  one,  and  being  off 
Antwerp  he  ordered  he  me  to  set  the  "  Jack  "  at 
the  fore  royalmast-head  as  a  signal  for  a  pilot.  I 
gave  the  signal  halyards  to  one  of  the  men,  and 
told  him  to  lay  aloft  and  reeve  them  at  the  fore. 
The  man  slowly  climbed  up  the  rigging,  but  when 
he  got  to  the  royalmast  his  courage  gave  out.  The 
ship  was  lymg  over  very  much  and  jumping  heavily 
in  the  sharp  sea,  so  that  it  was  a  matter  of  diffi- 
culty to  hold  on,  and  much  more  so  to  shin  up  the 
long  mast-head.  I  cheered  the  man  on,  who  made 
two  or  three  unsuccessful  attempts  to  reach  the 
truck,  but  after  ascending  a  short  distance  invari- 
ably slid  back  to  the  eyes  of  the  rigging.  Another 
man  was  now  sent  up  to  help  him,  or  do  the  work 
f(7t  him,  and  I  travelled  aloft  also  to  drive  them  up. 
But  both  men  were  thoroughly  frightened;  so 
much  so  that  I  feared  they  might  lose  their  hold 
altogether,  and  I  did  not  like  to  force  them  at  this 
risk,  so  at  last  I  took  the  halyards  myself  and  soon 


AT  THE  FORE  TUUCB:.  223 

was  at  the  mast-head.  Just  at  this  moment  Capt. 
Streeter  came  out  of  the  cabin  and  walked  for- 
ward to  see  if  his  order  had  been  executed.  There 
he  beheld  his  second  mate  at  the  fore  truck,  and 
two  sailors  in  the  crosstrees  looking  at  him  per- 
forming their  work.  This .  was  rather  opposed  to 
his  idea  of  things,  so  he  armed  himself  with  the 
long  unused  cat,  which  had  been  out  of  service 
since  the  negro-boys  escaped  from  its  tutelage,  and 
when  the  men  reached  the  deck  he  gave  them  each 
a  good  flogging ;  and  when  I  appeared  he  said  to 
me :  "  If  I  ever  see  you  do  sailors'  work  again  for 
them,  ril  treat  you  in  the  same  way." 

But  the  flag  did  not  bring  the  pilot,  though  the 
wind  moderated  enough  to  quiet  the  captain'ii 
fears  of  the  lee-shore.  Laying  off  and  on  during  the 
night,  in  the  morning  the  spires  and  windmills  of 
Holland  appeared  risiiig  out  of  the  sea  before  the 
land  was  visible.  A  pilot  boat  came  along  side 
and  a  rosy-cheeked  little  Dutchman  clambered 
over  the  rail.  In  his  short  sailor's  jacket  he  looked 
like  an  overgrown  boy;  but  he  proved  himself  a 
good  pilot,  by  bringing  the  ship  into  the  Zuyder 
Zee  and  then  entering  her  in  the  canal  at  New 
Diep,  the  port  of  Amsterdam. 

Vessels  formerly  sailed  up  the  Zuyder  Zee  to 
Amsterdam,  but  were  often  detained  two  or  three 
weeks  for  water  enough  to  carry  them  over  a  cer- 
tain bank.  The  enterprising  merchants,  to  obviate 
this  delay,  dug  a  canal  fifty  miles  long,  from  Am- 


224  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

fsterdam  to  New  Diep,  making  it  wide  enough  for 
two  frigates  to  pass  abreast,  and  the  ships  are 
drawn  through  this  to  the  city  in  about  eighteen 
hours;  or,  if  preferred,  they  can  discharge  at  New 
Diep  into  canal-boats,  which  convey  the  cargo  to 
the  city.  Another  deeper  and  shorter  canal  has 
been  made  since  then. 

Capt.  Strccter  chose  the  latter  plan  and  speedily 
got  to  work  at  discharging  the  tobacco  and  staves. 
With  two  men  I  worked  in  the  hold,  breaking  out 
and  slinging  the  cargo,  and  the  rest  on  deck,  afc  the 
tackle,  hoisted  it  out. 

Though  the  ship  lay  alongside  the  quay,  the 
captain  refused  permission  to  any  of  the  sailors  to 
go  on  shore  in  the  evening,  saying  all  they  wanted 
was  to  get  drunk,  and  the  sailors  not  relishing  this 
restriction,  and  thinking  they  had  done  enough 
hard  work  on  board  the  "  Dublin,"  took  leave  of 
absence  on  their  own  account,  and  for  awhile  every 
morning  found  two  of  the  crew  missing,  until  only 
three  or  four  were  left. 

In  a  fortnight  the  ship  was  all  discharged  and 
ballasted,  the  captain  went  to  ihe  city,  settled  his 
freight  and  cleared  for  Cronstadt.  I  had  to  curb 
my  love  of  sight-seeing,  as  my  duties  would  not 
allow  me  to  visit  the  city.  In  New  Diep  I  saw 
the  Dutch  people,  the  women  with  their  gold  bands 
nung  across  their  foreheads,  and  metal  head-dresses 
ending  in  front  in  two  little  cullenders  holding 


DUTCHMEN.  225 

curls,  and  the  men  with  their  pipes,  even  the  min- 
sters walking  to  church  on  Sunday  smoking. 

The  clean  swept  pavement  and- the  white  walled 
houses  with  their  red  tiled  roofs  confirmed  the  rep- 
utation of  that  p*eople  for  order  and  cleanliness. 

The  captain  upon  returning  to  the  vessel  shipped 
some  men,  and  put  to  sea,  having  a  final  '*  growl " 
at  the  captain  of  the  steamboat  that  towed  him 
out,  bestowed  upon  him  rather  because  he  was  the 
last  Dutchman  lie  should  see  for  a  while,  than  be- 
cause of  any  special  fault  in  the  person.  But  he 
had  to  take  Capt.  Streeter  s  opinion  of  his  countiy- 
men,  and  to  say  the  lea^t  they  were  not  very  flat- 
tering to  his  national  pride.  "  Slower  than  real 
estate  in  Chelsea  ; "  "  don't  know  enough  to  go  into 
the  house  when  it  rains  ; "  *'  put  two  ideas  in  their 
beads  and  they'd  bu'st,"  were  a  few  of  the  favor- 
ite phrases  made  to  apply  to  the  subject  under  con- 
sideration, as  many  times  before  they  had  heen 
a[)plied  by  Capt.  Streeter  to  such  unfortunate  peo- 
ple as  came  into  the  world  outside  of  the  limits  of 
"  free  and  enlightened  America." 

In  three  days  we  rounded  the  north  of  Denmark 
and  squared  away  through  the  Cattegat  with 
a  fresh  north-west  wind.  Before  we  reached  Elsi- 
nore  we  had  a  change  of  wind  to  the  southward,  and 
were  all  day  beating  up  the  roads,  where  we 
anchored  at  dark.  The  next  morning  we  started, 
with  a  fleet  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  vessels,  to  beat 
into  the  Baltic.     All  hands  were  on  deck,  and  we 


226  ON   BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

tacked  every  fifteen  minutes.     As  the  Dublin  waa 

flying  liglit,  and  most  of  the  fleet  nere  coal-laden, 
she  soon  distanced  them  all,  and  at  sunset  we 
weathered  Falsterbo  and  squared  away  up  the  Bal- 
tic. 

After  leaving  New  Diep,  a  change  came  over  the 
captain  ;  the  restraint  which  he  had  seemed  to  im- 
pose upon  his  passions  during  this  voyage,  van- 
ished, and  ho  acted  as  though  intent  upon  making 
up  for  lost  time,  and  relieving  himself  of  an  accu- 
mulation of  malice  and  profanity.  In  a  head  wind 
or  calm  he  would  throw  his  hat  on  deck  and  jump 
on  it,  pouring  forth  abundant  curses,  and  once  even 
went  so  far  as  to  shake  his  fist  aloft  and  swear  at 
"  Him  who  made  the  calm."  The  sailors  shook  their 
heads  and  remarked  to  each  other  that  the  old  man 
wasn't  helping  things  much,  and  in  the  forecastle 
they  told  stories  about  ships  being  becalmed  until 
the  crew  starved,  or  until  the  grass  grew  so  long 
on  her  bottom  that  it  took  root  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea  and  held  her  fast  when  at  last  a  breeze 
came. 

The  crew  behaved  pretty  well,  were  very  civil 
and  prompt  in  obeying  orders,  and  proved  them- 
selves good  "  sailor  men  "  withal. 

After  the  captain  had  about  exhausted  his  voca- 
bulary on  the  calm,  he  felt  the  need  of  something 
or  person  else  to  vent  his  spite  upon ;  and  as  the 
crew,  who  usually  received  these  attentions,  hardly 
gave  tlie   excuse   in   this  case,  he   very   suddenly 


DREAMS.  227 

turned  upon  the  second  mate,  watched  me  every 
moment,  and  criticised  every  act  that  could  be 
in  any  way  twisted  so  as  to  bear  it. 

He  had  always  appeared  more  friendly  to  me 
than  to  any  one  else,  and  this  sudden  change  took 
everyone  by  surprise.  It  could  hardly  be  account- 
ed for  except  by  supposing  it  to  be  the  expression 
of  his  displeasure  at  my  failure  to  develop  into  an 
offiijcr  after  liis  own  heart. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  he  had  returned  to  the 
worst  phase  of  his  last  voyage.  I,  of  all  others, 
had  occasion  to  notice  it,  for  the  captain's  peculiar 
attentions  were  bestowed  upon  me.  Ilis  piercing 
eye  was  fastened  upon  me  during  the  greater  part  of 
the  day,  and  often  in  the  night  he  crept  stealthily 
on  deck  in  hope  of  discovering  some  neglect  of 
duty,  but  always  found  me  awake,  and  the  yards 
and  sails  trimmed  as  they  should  be,  unless  it  hap- 
pened that  he  came  out  within  a  few  moments  of  a 
little  change  of  wind,  and  on  one  or  two  such  oc- 
casions he  declared  it  had  been  so  for  half  an  hour, 
and  taunted  me  with  inattention,  or  threw  out  a 
hint  that  he  suspected  me  of  having  been  asleep 
— the  greatest  fault  an  officer  can  be  guilty  of. 
His  principal  reason  for  the  latter  suspicion  on 
one  occasion  was  that  he  had  a  dream  about  wild 
horses,  which  never  occurred  except  when  an  offi- 
cer was  asleep.  He  had  proved  it  several  times, 
and  never  knew  it  to  fail.  Mr.  Jones  never  went 
to  sleep  but  once  on  deck,  and  that  time  the  cap- 


228  ON  BOAKD  THE  ROCKET. 

tain  woke  up  in  the  midst  of  this  dream  and  caught 
him. 

These  things  were  very  galling,  but  I  was  able  to 
avoid  any  disrespectful  response,  until  one  morning 
his  taunts  were  heaped  upon  me  beyond  endurance, 
and  I  had  to  answer  back. 

My  watch  came  on  deck  at  8  A.  M.,  and  the 
captain  told  me  to  take  a  pull  of  the  main  tack. 
He  stood  superintending  the  work  as  usual,  and  h-s 
we  hauled  on  the  rope  he  shouted  out  what  weie 
supposed  to  be  encouraging  orders  :  "  Haul,  you 
wicked  rascals."  "  Lay  out  your  beef  on  it ;  — 
bend  your  backs  to  it ;  you  wouldn't  haul  a  mackerel 
off  a  gridiron ! "  Finally,  upon  his  calling  out  : 
"  Haul  away  I  "  I  understood  him  to  say  "  belay, " 
and  giving  that  order  to  the  men  the  rope  was 
made  fast. 

"How  dare  you  belay  a  rope  when  I'm  looking 
out  for  it  ?  "  shouted  the  captain  in  a  rage. 

"  I  thought  you  ordered  me  to,"  said  I. 

This  was  an  unfortunate  speech,  as  Capt.  Street- 
er  had  a  decided  animosity  to  anyone's  using  the 
word  thought. 

"  What  business  have  you  got  to  think,  I'd  like 
to  know,  "  he  replied.  "  You  didn't  ship  for  that, 
ill  make  you  know  your  place.  I'm  the  only  man 
that's  allowed  to  think  aboard  of  this  ship.  You'll 
try  to  take  charge,  if  I  let  you  keep  on  with  your 
airs  a  little  longer.  You  swing  about  the  deckn 
now  as  though  the  ship  belonged  to  you.  " 


A  GROWL.  229 

These  phrases  and  several  others  were  rattled  off, 
one  after  the  other,  and  interlarded  plentifully  with 
oaths.  Meanwhile  I  and  the  whole  watch  stood 
gazing  in  wonder  at  the  captain,  scarcely  knowing 
what  to  make  of  this  great  ado  iibout  nothing.  He 
walked  aft  a  few  steps  and  turned  to  watch  my 
movements  as  I  set  the  men  at  work.  The  mate 
was  standing  by  the  main  hatch,  and  lie  told  me  to 
let  one  of  my  watch  sew  some  canvas  on  the  foot 
of  the  mainsail,  and  directed  me  to  let  him  sit  in 
the  bight  of  a  main  buntline  while  he  worked  at  it. 
I  started  the  man  at  his  job  exactly  as  the  mate 
wished,  but  as  the  man  caught  hold  of  the  bunt- 
line  to  swing  himself  up  to  the  desired  position, 
the  captain  burst  out  upon  me  again : 

'* What  kind  of  backhanded  work  is  that? 
Why  don't  you  lower  the  man  down  in  a  bo's'n's 
chair?  I  believe  if  you  got  two  ideas  in  your 
head  it  would  bu'st.  I'd  like  to  know  w^hat  is  the 
matter  with  you  ?  " 

''  The  matter  is,"  said  I,  "  that  I've  alwaj^s  been 
treated  decently  till  I  came  here,  and  I'm  not  used 
to  be  cursed  about  and  snarled  at  as  if  I  was  a  lob- 
lolly boy.  Because  I'm  good  natured  you're  try- 
ing to  impose  on   me,   but  I  can't  stand  every- 


thing." 


''  If  you  say  another  word  I'll  knock  your  head 
off,"  said  Capt.  Streeter,  shaking  his  huge  fist  in 
my  face.  "  Don't  undertake  to  dictate  to  me 
what  kind  of  talk  I  use.     I'd  swear  if  the  owner 


230  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

and  God  Almighty  were  here."  Then  he  said. 
"  No  1  I  won't  fight  you,  if  you  were  a  man  of  my 
size  I  woula,  but  I'll  treat  you  like  a  boy  tliat's 
beneath  my  notice  that  way.  But  after  this  111 
keep  you  in  your  place.  Go  set  your  men  to  work, 
and  mind  you  behave  yourself." 

That  day  Capt.  Streeter  paced  the  deck  a  good 
deal,  evidently  in  deep  thought,  and  in  the  evening 
after  supper  he  calle  1  me  into  the  cabin. 

"  Mr.  A "saic"  he,  "  do  you  know  that  a  man 

who  has  had  any  ed  acation  can  give  a  slur  that'll 
hurt  a  good  deal  nore  than  another  man  can. 
Now,  I  feel  one  wc  d  from  you  more  than  I  do  a 
dozen  from  any  c//3  else,  and  I  feel  hurt  at  the 
way  you  spoke  to  me  this  morning." 

"  I've  always  Ined  to  be  respectful  to  you,  sir," 
I  replied,  "  and  1  think  I've  been  more  so  than  any 
boay  else  wmjll  have  been,  because  I've  been  anx- 
ious that  no  one  should  think  I  put  on  any  airs  on 
account  of  your  familiarity  with  me.  For  the  last 
week  you've  done  nothing  but  snarl  at  me  and 
pick  upon  me.  I  know,  of  course,  that  I'm  at  fault 
sometimes,  but  not  as  much  as  you  try  to  make 
out." 

"  You  can't  expect  a  sea  captain  to  be  as  mild  as 
a  parson  all  the  time,"  said  Capt.  Streeter.  "  You 
must  make  allowances.  If  I'm  not  quite  perfect  I 
want  you  to  respect  me  as  your  captain  I  " 

"I  always  mean  to  respect  you. as  my  captain; 
but,  if  you'll  allow  me  to  speak  the  plain  truth,  it's 


IN   CRONSTADT.  231 

impossible  to  respect  you  as  a  man^  and  I'm  not 
always  able  to  conceal  my  private  feelings." 

"  If  you  can't  respect  me  as  a  man,  I  want  you 
to  as  your  captain,"  said  Capt.  Streeter,  biting  his 
lips  and  looking  as  though  he  had  received  a  slur 
that  cut  pretty  deep.     "  That'll  do." 

Capt.  Streeter  felt  that  the  account  stood  rather 
against  him,  and  took  continual  opportunities  to 
annoy  me,  and  occasionally  repeated  the  sentence 
which  closed  his  cabin  conference,  showing  that 
my  remark  had  taken  strong  hold  upon  him. 

The  night  before  we  reached  Cronstadt  I  had  a 
good  talk  with  the  captain,  and  he  came  to  the 
conclusion  he  had  better  turn  his  attentions  to 
somebody  else,  and  we  gradually  got  to  better 
terms  with  each  other. 

In  Cronstadt  we  discharged  ballast  and  loaded  a 
cargo  of  iron  and  hemp.  The  crew  were  called 
every  morning  at  half  past  four,  which  of  course 
was  not  very  agreeable,  and  one  morning  an  Irish 
sailor  growled  so  much  about  it,  the  mate  went 
into  the  forecastle  and  struck  him  two  or  three 
blows  with  his  brass  knuckles.  A  half  hour  after- 
wards the  mate  picked  up  a  handspike  and  struck 
him  a  blow  across  the  stomach,  and  after  break- 
fast he  told  the  captain  of  it,  and  the  man  was 
called  aft  and  severely  beaten  on  the  back  with 
the  end  of  the  main  clew-garnet,  a  good  sized  rope. 
No  more  complaints  were  made  about  early  rising. 
The  mate  had  a  row  with  another  sailor  one  day, 


232  ON  BOAED  THE  ROCKET. 

and  receiving  some  insolence,  tlircw  a  heavy  piece 
of  wood  at  his  head,  which  fortunately  missed  its 
mark.  The  man  was  so  frightened  that  he  de- 
serted that  night  with  one  of  his  shipmates. 

The  ship  was  loaded  so  deeply  and  was  leaking 
so  much,  and  moreover  had  such  wretched  pumps, 
that  many  misgivings  were  expressed  as  to  her 
ever  crossing  the  Atlantic  safely.  The  supersti- 
tious among  the  crew  were  still  more  disaffected 
when  two  Finnish  sailors  came  on  board,  for  a  Finn 
is  believed  to  have  dealings  with  the  evil  one,  and 
to  be  a  dangerous  shipmate.  We  sailed  for  Bos- 
ton one  September  morning,  and  beat  down  the 
Gulf  of  Finland.  The  crew  that  were  shipped  at 
New  Diep  were  to  get  fifteen  dollars  a  month,  but 
wages  were  higher  in  Cronstadt,  and  the  two  Fin- 
nish sailors  had  shipped  for  twenty  dollars.  They 
had  signed  articles  to  that  effect,  drawn  up  by  the 
American  Consul.  This  grieved  the  captain's  eco- 
nomic soul,  and  the  day  after  we  sailed,  he  called 
one  of  the  Finns  into  the  cabin  and  summoned  me 
for  a  witness.  He  told  the  man  that  if  he  didn't 
prove  to  be  a  first-class,  able  seaman,  he  should  cut 
his  wages  down  to  ten  dollars  a  month ;  but,  if  he 
would  sign  the  articles  that  the  rest  of  the  crew 
were  on,  and  accept  fifteen  dollars,  he  would  say 
nothing  about  his  seamanship.  The  man  was  confi- 
dent of  his  abilitj',  and  had  every  appearance  of  a 
thorough  seaman.  He  understood  'English  imper- 
fectly, and  was  somewhat  bewildered  by  this  prop 


TWO  FINNISH  SAILOBS.  233 

osition,  but  he  realized  it  was  a  scheme  to  defraud 
him  of  five  dollars  a  month,  and  he  respectfully 
declined  to  sign  the  new  articles,  saying,  he  had 
signed  once  before  the  consul  and  that  was  his  bar- 
gain. After  a  little  useless  argument,  the  captain 
rose  and  shut  the  cabin  door ;  then  he  caught  the 
man  by  the  neck  with  his  left  hand,  and  gave  hira 
a  blow  with  his  right  fist  that  knocked  him  down. 
He  jumped  on  his  chest  two  or  three  times  with 
his  whole  weight ;  and  then  kneeling  on  top  of  him 
pounded  his  face  severely.  The  man  cried  out  for 
mercy  and  promised  to  sign.  He  was  then  helped 
to  the  table  and  wrote  his  name  on  the  fifteen  dol- 
lar articles.  The  other  Finn  was  at  the  wheel  at  the 
time,  and  whether  he  heard  anything  of  what  wa© 
going  on  or  not,  he  seemed  to  lose  his  head  just 
then,  and  ran  the  ship  off  her  course.  The  mate, 
perceiving  it,  struck  him  and  put  another  man  in  his 
place.  He  was  just  coming  forward  as  the  captain 
and  his  shipmate  stepped  out  of  the  cabin.  The 
bruised  face  of  his  comrade  startled  him,  and  when 
the  captain  told  him  to  go  into  the  cabin  he 
refused,  supposing  he  was  going  to  be  beat;en  for 
his  bad  steering.  The  captain,  without  further 
words,  seized  a  belaying  pin  from  the  rail  and  hit 
him  a  powerful  blow  on  the  head,  which  cut  a  deep 
gash  on  the  side  of  his  forehead,  and  in  a  moment 
liis  face  was  one  mass  of  blood.  The  steward  and 
myself  carried  him  into  the  cabin,  by  his  head  and 
lieels,  and  seating  him  on  a  stool  in  a  state-room, 


234  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

bound  up  his  broken  head  with  strips  of  sail  cloth 
in  lieu  of  rags.  The  captain  brought  a  pen  to  him 
and  told  him  to  write  liis  name  on  the  old  articles. 

"  What  ish  dis  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Do  as  you're  told, "  said  the  captain,  and  the 
man  signed. 

The  captain  then  put  a  pair  of  handcuffs  on  the 
man's  wrists,  though  he  was  as  quiet  as  possible, 
and  he  was  left  to  meditate  on  the  privileges  of 
sailing  under  that  symbol  of  freedom  and  justice, 
the  American  flag. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE   "DUBLIN"  —  CONCLUDED. 


WHEN  eight  days  out  from  Cronstadt  the  ship 
was  in  the  North  Sea  about  forty  miles  S, 
W.  of  the  Naze  of  Norway.  The  weathe/  was 
rainy  and  the  sky  dark  and  threatening.  The  ?nd 
gradually  increased  to  a  gale  from  the  westward, 
and  in  a  few  hours  the  ship  was  hove  to  under  the 
close-reefed  maintopsail,  laboring  heavily  in  the 
ugly  confused  sea.  Careful  attention  to  the 
pumps  showed  that  the  ship  was  leaking  more 
than  usual,  keeping  the  pumps  constantly  going. 
The  sand  washed  to  the  well-room  and  choked  the 
pumps,  which  had  not  force  enough  to  throw  it 
out.  It  was  blowing  a  living  gale,  the  ship  was 
leaking  badly  and  the  pumps  were  useless,  the 
alternative  that  was  presented  was  to  founder  at 
sea,  or  run  for  some    port.    Accordingly,  in  the 

285 


286  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

afternoon,  the  captain  ordered  the  yards  to  be 
squared,  and  the  ship  scudded  before  wind  and  sea 
towards  the  Cattegat.  Getting  one  pump  clear, 
the  crew,  by  constant  work,  kept  the  water  from 
gaining  rapidly  ;  but  a  new  danger  was  now  before 
us.  The  captain  had  not  seen  the  sun  for  twent}^- 
four  hours  and  was  not  very  confident  as  to  the 
ship's  position  ;  she  was  running  towards  the  land, 
and  an  error  of  a  few  miles  in  the  reckoning  might 
result  in  the  loss  of  all  on  board  before  the  next 
day-break.  The  Coast  of  Denmark  is  very  low 
and  cannot  be  seen  far  at  sea  even  in  clear  weather, 
and  though  Captain  Streeter  hoped  to  fetch  to  the 
northward  of  it,  still  he  felt  very  much  concerned, 
as  the  distance  would  probably  be  run  before  day- 
light. I  shall  never  forget  my  feelings  as  I  stood 
by  the  wheel  that  night,  in  the  middle  watch,  while 
the  ship  scudded  before  the  howling  tempest  in 
the  pitchy  darkness,  perhaps  towards  sudden  and 
certain  destruction. 

The  negro  steward  had  the  best  eyes  of  any 
man  in  the  ship,  and  at  the  first  dawn  of  day  he 
went  forward  and  looked  anxiously  and  earnestly 
aliead.  In  a  moment  the  cry,  "  Land,  ho  !  "  sounded, 
and  he  ran  aft  and  reported  to  the  captain  that  he 
could  see  the  land  not  more  than  five  miles  off. 
Calling  all  hands  the  captain  hauled  the  ship  by 
the  wind  and  crowded  all  the  sail  possible  in  order 
to  keep  the  ship  off  the  lee-shore  and  weather  the 
northern  point  of  Denmark,  which,    as  the  day 


IN   DISTRESS.  287 

broke,  appeared  on  the  lee  bow.  He  found  that  he 
had  missed  his  course  by  only  eight  or  ten  miles, 
but  had  it  not  been  for  the  steward's  eyesight,  or 
had  day  dawned  fifteen  minutes  later,  the  error 
would  have  proved  fatal.  The  ship  struggled 
bravely  against  the  gale  under  double-reefed  top- 
sails, a  preks  of  canvas  that  threatened  "  to  take 
the  sticks  out  of  her,"  but  she  seemed  inspirited 
by  the  nearness  of  the  dangerous  coast,  and  when 
bhe  finally  fetched  by  the  Scaw  and  squared  away 
across  the  Cattegat,  all  on  board  felt  that  the 
qnestion  of  life  and  death  was  decided  in  their 
favor,  and  cheerfulness  and  thankfulness  took  pos- 
session of  them.  One  hundred  and  fifty  vessels 
and  three  hundred  lives  were  reported  lost  in  that 
gale.  That  afternoon  the  ship  took  a  pilot  off  the 
Swedish  coast,  and  proceeding  seven  miles  up  the 
River  Gotha,  anchorod  at  Masthugget,  a  suburb  of 
Gothenburg. 

The  next  day  a  survey  was  held  and  it  was  decided 
that  the  ship  must  discharge  and  be  hove  down, 
though  the  leak  was  no  more  than  good  pumps 
could  have  kept  under.  Here  was  a  dismal  pros- 
pect. It  was  October  and  three  months  must  pass 
before  the  "  Dublin  "  could  be  readj''  for  sea  again, 
and  then  it  would  be  January,  and  probably  the 
river  would  be  frozen  over,  so  that  she  would  be 
ice-bound  till  spring.  The  dreary  looking  country 
and  the  low  unattractive  town  which  was  in  sight 
presented  little  temptation  to  a  long  residence,  and 


238  ON  BOAllD  T1IJ2  ROCKET. 

great  discussions  went  on  in  the  forecastle,  whetbc: 
the  "  old  man  "  would  discharge  the  crew  or  not. 

By  law,  sailors  discharged  from  an  American  ship 
abroad  are  entitled  to  three  months'  extra  pay,  one 
third  of  which  goes  to  the  Consul.  This  made  the 
crew  still  more  anxious  to  leave  and  they  impa- 
tiently awaited  the  decision.  The  Consul,  with  un- 
usual liberality,  told  Capt.  Streeter  that  if  his  crew 
wished  to  be  discharged  and  would  at  once  take 
passage  in  the  steamer  for  England,  he  might  let 
them  go  without  any  extra  pay.  The  men  were  a 
little  disappointed  at  this,  but  were  so  dissatisfied 
with  the  ship  that  they  preferred  to  leave  on  these 
terms,  and  were  accordingly  paid  off  and  took  the 
steamer  for  Hull,  England.  As  they  passed  the 
''  Dublin "  on  their  way  down  the  river  they 
waved  their  hats  and  one  of  them  shouted  ''  Bad 
luck  to  the  old  hooker." 

One  evening  in  New  Diep,  old  Harry  went  into 
the  between  decks  on  some  duty,  and  as  it  v/as 
rather  dark  there  he  fell  through  the  hatchway 
into  the  hold  and  broke  his  right  arm.  Captain 
Streeter  was  too  economical  to  employ  a  doctor, 
and  too  strict  a  disciplinarian  to  allow  the  sailor  to 
go  on  shore  to  see  one ;  he  also  believed  that  he 
knew  more  than  all  the  medical  fraternity  put  to- 
gether. He  therefore  set  the  bone  himself,  but  did 
it  so  badly  that  the  arm  was  nearly  useless  after  the 
bones  had  knit.  Harry  was  very  downhearted 
about  it,  for  now  he  could   no  longer  ship  as  an 


GOOD-BY  TO  OID  HARRY.  239 

able  seaman  and,  as  usual,  when  hb  was  discharged 
at  Gothenburg  lie  sought  relief  from  his  sorrows  in 
drink.  In  a  few  days  ho  was  picked  up  in  the 
gutter,  one  cold  morning,  penniless  and  almost 
naiced.  The  United  States  Consul  kindly  gave 
him  some  clothes,  and  wished  him  to  accept  a  very 
serviceable  coat  which  had  belonged  to  his  coach- 
man. But  the  sailor  said :  "  Old  Harry  is  an 
old  man-o'-wars-man  and  he  can't  wear  a  coach- 
man's coat.  Cut  those  big  buttons  off  and  I'll 
take  it. "  In  his  buttonless  coat  he  was  put  on 
board  the  steamer  for  England  and  disappeared. 

One  Sunday  I  went  up  to  Gothenburg,  in  one  of 
the  little  steam  launches  that  ply  up  and  down 
the  river.  In  the  evening  after  my  return  I  told 
the  mate  of  my  visit ;  and  after  hearing  my  de- 
scription of  the  city,  he  said : 

"  I  wish  you'd  been  aboard  this  afternoon  when 
Capt.  Mann  of  the  brig  "  Hong  Kong  "  was  down  in 
the  cabin,  visiting  the  old  man.  They  talked  so  loud 
I  couldn't  help  hearing  all  they  said,  though  I  didn't 
listen.  You  know  you  told  me  Capt.  Streeter  never 
commanded  a  vessel  before  he  had  this  one ;  but 
if  you  had  heard  his  yarns,  you'd  have  learned  that 
he's  had  charge  of  a  whole  fleet  of  ships,  and  he 
had  such  a  great  reputation  that  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  wanted  him  to  command  one  of  his  "  cravats," 
as  he  called  it,  but  I  suppose  he  meant  corvettes. 
He  told  the  Emperor  that  if  he  took  charge  of  her, 
the  first  thing  he'd  do  would  be   to  run  her  into 


2-^10  ON   BOAllD  THE   UOCKET. 

action  and  get  the  crew  killed  off,  in  order  to  make 
room  for  true-born  Americans — the  onlj''  men  who 
could  get  two  ideas  in  their  heads  without  burst- 
ing. The  Emperor  didn't  like  this  plan  of  dispos- 
ing of  his  subjects  very  well,  but  he  knew  that 
Capt.  Streeter  was  such  a  smart  man  that  he  still 
urged  him  to  accept,  until  the  affair  ended  by  the 
captain  telling  him  he  wouldn't  take  one  of  his 
ships  if  he'd  give  her  to  him. 

"That  wasn't  the  yarn  I  started  to  tell  you 
though.  Capt.  Stree  er  said  that  he  commanded 
the  ship  "  Seaman's  Bride."  (I'm  pretty  sure  he's 
been  second  mate  of  her).  He  was  loading  teas  at 
Shanghae  on  owners'  account,  and  they  wrote  to 
him  to  make  the  quickest  passage  home  he  possibly 
could,  and  not  to  spare  either  spars^  sails  or  rig- 
ging, in  eighty-four  days  after  leaving  Shanghao 
he  dropped  anchor  off  the  Battery;  the  quick- 
est passage  ever  made.  lie  had  carried  away  a 
set  of  top-gall  an  tmasts,  sprung  the  fore  topmast, 
mainmast-head,  and  fore  and  main  topsail-j^ards, 
and  blown  away  two  suits  of  sails.  On  discharcfiiig 
her,  they  found  two  of  her  deck  beams  broken,  five 
knees  started  in  the  between  decks,  and  four  hang- 
ing knees  in  the  lower  hold  broken,  and  so  on  till 
he  ran  up  a  list  longer  than  a  bill  of  repairs  on  an 
underwriter's  job.  When  he  got  the  ship's  damages 
told,  he  began  on  the  damages  to  sailors,  and  I  tell 
you  they  were  still  worse.  He  killed  two  men 
outright    and  in  New  York  nineteen  men   went 


captain's  yarns.  241 

ashore  with  broken  heads,  all  fixed  to  order  by  him- 
self, for  his  mates  didn't  know  anythi\i<jr,  arid  fearecj 
cvcrytliing  in  the  sliape  of  sailors,  and  he  had  to 
lick  them  too.  I  never  heard  a  man  tell  a  straight- 
er  story  in  my  life.  I  believe  the  old  man  would 
beat  Tom  Pepper  at  a  yarn,  and  they  say  he  was 
more  tl:  m  a  match  for  the  Old  Nick  at  lying.  I'd 
like  to  be  behind  the  door  when  the  match  was 
going  on,  anyway.  I  never  thought  he  told  the 
truth  very  hard,  but  I  believe  novir  he's  forgotten 
how,  if  he  ever  knew." 

"  Why, "  I  added,  "  you  know  he  said  himself 
cne  day,  '  I  never  tell  the  truth  e  rcept  when  a  lie 
won't  aiisv  er,'  and  I  thought  he  oame  nearer  tell- 
ing the  truth  tlian  usual  when  he  said  that." 

"My  opinion  of  Capt.  Streete;,"  said  the  man, 
"  is  that  he  would  be  a  thund  3ring  rascal  if  h  i 
dared  to  be,  but  he  hasn't  got  1  he  pluck,  and  he 
tiies  to  get  the  credit  of  it  by  laaking  up  in  lies 
what  he  hasn't  courage  to  do. " 

"  He's  a  pretty  hard  man  though,"  said  I ;  "  I've 
seen  him  handle  some  sailors  very  roughly." 

"Hard  man, "  said  the  mate  ;  "I  wish  you  could 
have  seen  the  work  in  some  ships  I've  been  in. 
What  courage  does  it  take  for  a  great  two-fisted 
fellow  like  him  to  handle  a  single  sailor.  There 
was  old  "  Blower  Aiken, "  who  used  to  keep  a 
bucket  full  of  coal  on  the  poop  to  heave  at  tha 
sailoi:s,  and  when  they  were  at  the  main  braces,  if 
they  didn't  haul  hard  enough  to  suit,  and  it  wasn't 


242  ON   BOARD  THE  KOCKET. 

• 

very  often  they  did,  he'd  get  up  on  the  after-house, 
and  jump  down  on  top  of  one  of  the  men,  and  then 
tin  1  to  and  lick  the  whole  watch.  When  I  was  in 
the  packet-ship  "  Mountaineer,"  along  with  '  Bully 
Nat  Johnson,'  I  was  with  what  I  call  a  hard  man. 
If  the  man  at  the  wheel  got  the  ship  a  little  off  her 
course,  I've  seen  him  pick  up  a  boat-hook  and  run 
it  through  the  man's  cheek,  and  keep  him  standing 
at  the  wheel  till  his  trick  was  done. 

"  We  were  coming  home  from  Liverpool  once, 
and  went  out  of  the  North  Channel ;  but  then  the 
wind  came  from  the  northward  and  blew  a  living 
gale.  This  brought  the  Irish  coast  on  our  lee,  and 
the  '  old  man  '  carried  sail  pretty  hard  to  claw  off. 
Our  fore-topsail  blew  all  to  ribbons,  and  while  we 
were  up  bending  another,  a  boy  fell  off  the  lee 
yard  arm.  Only  the  man  next  to  him  noticed  him, 
and  it  was  blowing  so  hard  he  could  not  make  any 
one  hear  to  windward.  The  mate,  who  was  on 
deck,  saw  it,  and  beckoned  to  me  to  come  down.  (I 
was  third  mate  of  her).  When  I  got  on  deck,  he 
told  me  what  had  happened,  and  he  had  just  thrown 
a  rope  which  the  boy  had  got  hold  of ;  for  the  ship 
of  course  was  only  just  drifting.  We  tried  to  haul 
him  in,  but  when  he  was  nearly  up,  he  slipped  his 
hold  and  fell  into  the  water.  He  floated  aft,  and 
caught  hold  of  the  main  chain-plates ;  and  just  as 
I  was  going  to  get  a  rope  round  him  the  old 
man  yelled  out  to  me :  "  Go  up  on  that  fore-topsail 
yard." 


A  HARD   MAN.  243 

"  *  There's  a  boy  overboard,  sir,'  "  said  I. 

*'• '  I  don't  care,'  said  he  ;  '  let  him  help  himself. 
If  we  don't  get  that  fore-topsail  bent  we'll  all  be 
lost." 

''While  I  stopped  for  this  talk,  a  sea  had  washed 
the  boy  away,  so  I  went  up  aloft. 

*'The  sailors  were  so  frightened  at  the  force  of 
the  gale  and  flapping  of  the  remnant  of  the  old 
sail  that  they  had  all  laid  in  off  the  yard,  and 
wouldn't  go  out  again.  The  old  man  came  up  and 
kicked  them,  and  jumped  on  their  heads  as  they 
stood  in  the  rigging  and  top,  but  they  wouldn't 
stir,  and  at  last  the  second  mate  and  I  crawled  out 
on  the  weather  yard  arm,  and  he  lashed  me  on  to 
the  yard  with  a  gasket,  and  then  I  cut  away  the 
old  sail  and  hauled  out  the  head  of  the  new  one, 
for  the  men  came  out  when  they  found  some  one 
to  take  the  weather  earing. 

"  Old  Johnson  is  dead  now.  They  called  him 
one  of  the  smartest  men  that  sailed  out  of  New 
York,  and  he  could  always  command  his  own 
wages,  but  I  guess  old  Jimmy  Squarefoot  is  put- 
ting him  over  the  road  now  for  —  four  bells  I  you 
don't  say  an  hour's  gone  a'ready  ;  you  must  want 
to  turn  in." 

The  cargo  was  discharged  into  lighters  and 
stored  on  shore.  Then  the  "  Dublin  "  was  hauled 
into  the  shipyard  and  her  inmates,  captain,  two 
mates,  cook  and  steward  moved  to  boarding  houses 
on  shore.    The  ship  was  hove  down  on  her  side, 


244  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

caulked  and  sheathed,  and  all  day  long  we  stood 
on  tlie  rafts  alongside  and  went  through  the  form 
of  watching  the  workmen.  We  had  a  vacation 
from  the  captain's  society  in  the  evening,  except 
when  I  had  to  go  up  to  his  lodgings  and  write  his 
business  letters  for  him. 

The  beginning  of  January  fou  id  the  ship  again 
loaded  and  ready  for  sea,  only  waiting  for  saiLrs, 
who  were  very  scarce ;  partly  so,  because  the  cap- 
tain had  told  so  many  fighting  stories  in  the  ship- 
chandlers'  stores  that  the  bad  reputation  the  old 
crew  had  gi^'tn  the  vessel  had  been  confirmed  and 
increased.  The  river  froze  over,  and  though  a 
channel  was  kept  open  by  steamers,  this  might 
be  expected  to  close  any  night,  and  unless  the  ship 
desired  to  remain  until  spring  it  was  time  for  her 
to  leave.  So  she  was  towed  down  to  an  outer  har- 
bor through  seven  miles  of  ice  and  in  a  few  days 
the  captain  joined  her  with  a  crew  of  young 
Swedes  —  no  old  sailors  being  willing  to  join  the 
vessel.  The  river  was  now  frozen  entirely  over, 
and  even  in  this  harbor  ice  had  formed  for  two 
miles  out  amongst  the  islands  towards  the  sea. 
Accordingly  the  captain  made  a  bargain  with  the 
fishermen  of  the  place  to  break  out  the  ship,  and 
they  assembled  in  force  with  their  ice  boats. 
Tliese  were  built  with  sharp  bows  which  the  men 
lifted  and  struck  upon  the  ice,  and  as  it  gave  way 
they  jumped  on  to  the  boat.  When  a  space  had 
been  cleared  ahead  of  the  ship,  her  fore-topsail  was 


A  SWEDISH  CREW*  245 

set,  and  she  crashed  along  until  brought  up  by  the 
firm  ice,  when  the  boats  again  went  to  work  while 
the  ship  held  on  by  a  line  toggled  into  the  ice 
astern.  In  this  way  we  worked  all  of  one  day, 
and  at  its  sunset  found  ourselves  in  open  water ; 
then  we  made  sail  and  steered  to  the  westward, 
delighted  to  be  at  last  homeward  bound. 

Ten  out  of  fifteen  of  the  crew  could  not  speak 
English  and  most  of  them  were  young  men  and 
very  poor  sailors.  But  they  were  "willing"  and 
well  disposed,  and  the  knowledge  of  Swedish  I 
had  acquired  in  the  long  winter  evenings  enabled 
me  to  work  ship  with  them  quite  easily. 

The  captain  had  not  improved  his  opportunity 
to  master  the  language,  and  it  nearly  drove  him 
distracted  when  the  men  ran  to  the  wrong  end  of 
the  ship  to  execute  an  order.  He  tried  on  his 
"  tantrums "  at  first,  and  issued  his  volleys  of 
curses  and  blackguardism  from  the  top  of  the 
afterhouse,  but  the  sailors  only  turned  and  stared 
at  him  with  their  mouths  open  in  wonder.  He 
gave  this  up  after  awhile  and  we  had  quite  a  peace- 
able passage. 

The  ship  made  good  headway  in  spite  of  this, 
and  soon  again  passed  Fair  Island  and  the  inevi- 
table boat-load  of  beggars^,  and  commenced  battling 
with  the  Atlantic.  Lat.  60°  N.  in  the  month  of 
January  is  not  a  very  agreeable  locality  to  sail  in, 
and  gales  of  wind  were  frequent  visitors.  We 
were  about  half  way  across  the  ocean,  when  one 


246  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

evening  the  captain,  anxious  to  finish  his  passage, 
was  "  carrying  on  "  to  the  ship  with  the  double-reefed 
topsails,  steering  west,  with  the  wind  north.  The 
ship  was  thus  right  in  the  trough  of  the  sea  and  as 
it  blew  a  fresh  gale,  and  the  seas  were  beginning 
to  roll  higher  and  higher,  the  men  cast  many  un- 
easy glances  to  windward.  At  a  little  before  eight 
o'clock,  while  the  watch  was  pumping  ship,  a  sea 
broke  on  board  forward,  and  breaking  down  the 
bulwarks  and  tearing  away  the  water-casks  from 
their  lashings,  swept  aft,  and  catching  up  the  crew 
at  the  pumps  carried  them  down  into  the  lee  scup- 
pers. As  I  was  washing  about  with  the  surges  of 
the  water  I  at  first  thought  I  was  overboard,  but 
after  awhile  managed  to  get  on  my  feet  and  was 
pleased  to  find  the  deck  still  under  them.  Half  a 
dozen  men  were  standing  up  to  their  necks  in 
water  howling  Swedish  exclamations,  declaring 
they  had  broken  arms  and  legs  and  so  on,  and 
when  I  got  around  to  windward  the  moon  broke 
out  through  the  clouds  and  showed  a  scene  of  the 
greatest  confusion.  Boat,  spars,  and  ropes  had 
been  washed  off  the  house,  and  the  decks  were 
piled  up  with  the  debris  of  watercasks  and  bul- 
warks. As  soon  as  the  frightened  sailors  could  be 
got  to  work  sail  was  reduced,  and  upon  surveying 
the  damage  done,  it  was  found  that  the  ship's  stem 
was  started  away  from  the  "  wood  ends  "  and  the 
water  must  be  pouring  into  the  hold.  Some  hands 
at  once  were  set  to  work  to  prepare  for  throwing 


DECKS  SWEPT.  247 

overboard  cargo  from  the  forehatch  and  the  rest 
sent  to  the  pumps.  To  the  great  relief  of  all,  the 
noble  pumps  that  had  been  furnished  in  Gothen- 
burg worked  splendidly  and  freed  the  ship  from 
water.  As  soon  as  the  mate  could  get  time  he 
began  to  count  the  men,  fearing  that  some  had 
been  washed  overboard,  and  failing  to  make  out 
the  number  he  took  a  look  into  the  forecastle  and 
discovered  five  sailors  snugly  ensconsed  in  their 
bunks.  When  they  spied  the  mate  they  all  began 
to  groan  and  cry,  and  upon  inquiry  he  learned  that 
one  had  broken  his  back,  two  had  broken  legs,  and 
the  other  two  broken  arms.  He  called  the  captain, 
who  made  a  hastv  examination  which  convinced 
him  they  were  more  frightened  than  hurt,  and  he 
said :  "  111  give  you  all  just  five  minutes  to  get 
out  on  deck,  and  if  you  ai'n't  out  in  that  time  I'll 
come  in  and  drive  you  out  with  a  handspike." 
This  threat  brought  the  broken  legs  and  arms  into 
action  and  they  all  made  their  appearance  within 
the  prescribed  time,  somewhat  bruised  but  none  of 
them  seriously  injured. 

Two  daj^s  after  this  the  water  was  quite  smooth 
and  the  captain  desired  to  do  something  to  stop 
the  leak  forward,  which  kept  the  pumps  going 
nearly  all  the  time.  It  was  necessary  for  some  one 
to  go  over  the  bow  in  a  "  bowline,''  and  as  the 
weather  was  cold  and  the  person  would  dip  in  the 
water,  it  was  an  unpleasant  as  well  as  a  danger- 
'^us  task.     The  captain  disliked  to  order  any  one 


248  ON  BOARD   THE  PwOCKET. 

to  do  it,  but  the  mate  volunteered  to  the  work. 
A  bed-quilt  was  cut  up  into  long  strips,  and  being 
lowered  down  over  the  bow  in  the  bight  of  a  rope 
with  a  stick,  the  mate  proceeded  to  stuff  the  quilt 
into  the  open  seam  and  then  nailed  canvas  over 
it  down  to  the  water's  edge.  At  every  dip  he  was 
nearly  submerged  in  the  cold  waves,  but  manfully 
did  his  work  until  the  last  nail  was  driven,  and 
then  the  hammer  dropped  from  his  benumbed  hand 
and  he  was  drawn  on  board  thoroughly  chilled. 
He  was  taken  to  the  cabin  and  treated  to  a  stiff 
drink  of  whiskey.  He  soon  recovered  from  the 
immediate  effects  of  his  exposure,  though  for  some 
time  after  he  felt  the  drain  it  made  on  his  powers 
of  endurance.  The  leak  was  reduced  one  half  by 
his  labors  and  he  was  regarded  as  a  hero. 

All  felt  very  anxious  upon  approaching  the 
coast,  fearing  to  encounter  heavy  weather  while 
the  ship  was  in  this  crippled  condition.  But  in 
spite  of  our  hopes  the  gales  were  destined  to 
come. 

A  few  days  after  this,  another  gale  set  in  at  mid- 
night, and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  all  hands 
were  called  to  double-reef  the  topsails.  It  was  a 
dark,  wild  night,  blow^ing  hard  with  rain  and  sleet, 
and  verv  cold.  The  crew  were  so  worn  out  with 
exposure  they  were  not  very  lively,  and  we  were  an 
hour  and  a  quarter  before  we  got  below  again.  In 
reefing  the  fore-topsail  we  were  aloft  twenty  min- 
utes, the  sail  being  wet  and  stiff  and  the  yard  not 


HURUYINO  THE  CHEW.  249 

being  properly  braced  to  the  wind  so  as  to  "  spill  '* 
the  sail.  The  captain  swore  we  had  been  up  there 
two  hours,  and  said  he  would  see  if  tlie  main-top- 
sail couldn't  be  worked  quicker.  He  got  his  rope's 
end,  and  at  the  order  ''  lay  aloft,"  he  flew  around 
the  deck  and  beat  every  man  into  the  riLrging ;  then 
he  followed  them  aloft,  thrashing  at  every  one  ho 
reached.  When  they  laid  out  on  the  yard,  he 
walked  out  to  each  yard  arm  holding  on  to  the  top- 
gallant studdingsail  booms,  which  were  triced  up, 
and  .beat  each  man  over  the  head  and  shoulders. 
Standing  in  the  maintop  he  struck  at  each  sailor  as 
he  passed  down.  We  were  five  minutes  longer  than 
we  had  been  at  the  fore-to[)sail,  but  the  captain  flat- 
tered himself  he  had  hurried  matters.  In  memor}^, 
tliis  dark  night,  the  fierce  storm,  the  cold  blinding 
sleet,  the  weak  and  disheartened  crew  and  tlie  worst 
storm  of  rage,  curses  and  blows  from  the  captain, 
form  an  abiding  impression  of  a  demoniacal  event. 

The  ship  was  so  deep  her  decks  were  always  wet, 
and  seas  broke  over  her  continually  when  tlie  wind 
attained  to  any  force.  Even  if  protected  with  oil- 
clothing  a  sea  would  often  knock  one  down  and  soak 
him.  To  stand  on  deck  four  hours  in  a  cold,  stormy 
night,  soaked  to  the  skin  and  with  boots  saturated 
and  partly  filled  with  water,  makes  one's  life  seem 
to  be  oozing  away.  No  wonder  sailors  are  short- 
lived ;  sea  exposure  and  shore  degradation  soon 
use  them  up ! 

When  about  in  the  longitude  of  Cape  Sable  we 


260  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

took  a  fresh  southerly  gale  with  warm  rainy  wcatlwr, 
and  the  same  afternoon  it  suddenly  hauled  to  tlie 
northwest,  increasing  in  force,  and  the  weather  be- 
coming very  cold.  The  wet  sails  froze  so  stiff  that 
it  was  with  the  greatest  diflBculty  that  the  crew 
could  furl  them,  and  while  trying  to  close-reef  the 
fore-topsail  five  of  the  men  had  their  hands  frozen 
and  with  difficulty  got  safely  on  deck.  The  "  Dub- 
lin "  had  the  old-fashioned  whole  topsails  and  it  was 
a  dreadful  job  to  handle  them.  The  plan  of  making 
two  handy  sails  out  of  one  large  one  as  in  the 
"Howes'  Rig,"  which  is  now  almost  imiversally 
adopted,  is  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  of  the 
age  to  the  mariner,  and  yearly  saves  numbers 
of  lives  and  a  vast  amount  of  hardsliip.  Some  of 
the  men,  whose  hands  were  frozen,  restored  the  cir- 
culation by  rubbing  them  in  the  icy  water  whioli 
washed  over  the  deck,  but  two  of  them  were  dis- 
abled, and  upon  arrival  in  port  had  to  submit  to  the 
amputation  of  some  of  the  fingers  and  toes.  I  had 
both  hands  frozen,  but  soon  thawed  them  out  in  the 
cold  sea  water. 

The  ship  was  now  hove  to  on  the  starboard  tack, 
the  gale  was  blowing  fiercely,  and  ice  making  on  the 
ship.  The  clothes  of  the  men  were  frozen  upon 
them,  and  when  the  watch  was  ordered  to  go  below 
I  took  the  last  dry  clothes  I  had  from  my  chest  and 
turned  into  my  bunk.  I  was  only  just  going  to 
sleep,  when  above  the  noise  of  the  gale  sounded  the 
rustling  and  slatting  of  the  fore-topsail,  which  ha() 


A   FREEZING  GALE.  251 

blown  adrift,  and  then  came  the  mate's  cry,  "  all 
hands  ahoy  1  Rouse  out  here  and  furl  the  fore-top- 
sail." This  was  a  moment  of  real  hardship,  and  it 
required  a  great  deal  of  heroism  to  spring  from 
one's  bunk  and  face  the  freezing  gale  aloft.  I  con- 
fess I  shirked  duty  and  waited  for  a  second  call, 
which  fortunately  did  not  come.  A  few  sailors 
soon  appeared  on  deck,  and  the  rest  too  much  ter- 
rified or  too  irresolute  to  meet  the  harsh  duty  were 
dragged  out  of  their  bunks  by  the  mate  and  driven 
aloft,  with  threats  of  blows  from  a  handspike  he 
carried  in  his  hands. 

For  fifteen  minutes  the  crew  battled  with  the  stiff 
icy  sail.  Again  and  again  they  had  it  gathered  up 
and  the  blast  would  sweep  it  from  their  benumbed 
liands,  but  finally  the  gaskets  were  passed  around 
it  and  the  order  was  given  to  "lay  down."  The 
sailors  then  turned  in  and  rolled  themselves  up  in 
tlieir  blankets  to  try  one  phase  of  a  sailor's  life, 
"  turn  in  wet  and  turn  out  smoking." 

All  the  next  day  the  gale  raged  with  fury,  the  ice 
was  a  foot  thick  on  deck,  and  the  ropes  and  rigging 
were  masses  of  ice.  It  was  impossible  to  work  ship 
or  make  sail  and  we  let  her  lie  and  drift  to  the 
southward.  The  day  succeeding,  the  gale  modera- 
ted and  the  thermometer  suddenly  started  up.  Try- 
ing the  temperature  of  the  water  alongside,  we 
found  ourselves  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  All  that  day 
we  were  employed  drawing  up  the  warm  water  froia 
alongside,  pouring  it  over  the  rigging  and  beating 


252  ON  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

off  the  ice.  At  night  we  got  it  sufficiently  cleared 
to  allow  us  to  make  sail.  Fine  weather  succeeded 
and  in  a  few  days  we  found  ourselves  on  George's 
Bank.  The  captain  liailed  the  fishing  schooner, 
"  Eliza  A.  Proctor,"  to  find  out  our  position,  as  he 
was  somewhat  distrustful  of  the  accuracy  of  his 
chronometer. 

"  Schooner  ahoy  I  " 

"  Halloa,"  answered  a  shrill  voice. 

"  Wliat  is  your  longitude  ?  " 

*'  We  hai'n't  got  no  longitude ;  we*re  after  fish  I " 

"  How  does  George's  Shoal  bear  ?  " 

"  Nor'  West  by  North." 

As  we  passed  the  schooner  Capt.  Streeter  dis- 
covered that  the  skipper  was  his  mate  of  two  voy- 
ages previous — Mr.  Foster,  whom  he  had  quarrelled 
with  and  discharged  from  the  ship  in  Mobile.  The 
bearing  he  gave  did  not  at  all  agree  with  the  reck- 
oning ;  the  captain  had  some  misgivings  as  to  the 
skipper's  information  and  decided  not  to  trust  to 
it.  The  schooner  "  Emporia  "  afterwards  gave  us 
another  bearing  and  when  we  sighted  Cape  Cod 
we  found  Foster  had  deceived  us,  and  given  a 
course  that  would  have  wrecked  the  ship  if  it  had 
been  followed.  He  evidently  did  it  out  of  spite  to 
his  old  commander. 

Capt.  Streeter  was  weather-wise,  and  contin- 
ually prophesied  the  changes  of  the  wind.  Once 
when  it  had  been  blowin^r  from  the  northwest  lor 
two  or  three  days,  it  began  to  moderate  and  give 


WEATIIEll-WISE.  25B 

evidence  that  this  wind  had  had  its  day.  The 
captain  said  in  the  evening :  '^  This  wind  is  about 
done  now,  it  will  haul  around  to  the  eastward, 
going  by  the  north,  or  it  may  die  away  calm  and 
haul  around  by  the  south."  At  four  in  the  morn- 
ing I  called  him  and  told  him  there  was  an  easterly 
breeze. 

"  Which  w-v  did  it  haul?" 

"  By  the  north,  sir." 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  so  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

The  evening  we  made  Cape  Cod,  the  sky  began 
to  clear  in  the  westward  and  a  light  breeze  came 
from  that  direction.  "Now,"  said  the  captain, 
"  we  are  in  for  it.  It's  just  my  luck.  It's  going 
to  blow  a  living  gale  of  wind  from  the  nor' west ; 
'A^e  shall  be  driven  off  the  coast  and  not  fetch 
back  here  for  a  fortnight."  This  was  rather  dis- 
heartening and  I  couldn't  help  replying :  "  If  I 
thought  so  I  wouldn't  say  it,  for  I  think  we  have 
had  quite  trouble  enough  without  borrowing  any." 

''  I  tell  you  what  it  is  young  man,"  said  the 
captain  '^there's  a  difference  between  borrowing 
trouble  and  being  weather-wise." 

A  light  westerly  breeze  blew  all  the  next  day. 
We  beat  up  the  bay  with  fine  weather  and  off 
Boston  light  took  the  steam-tug  "  R.  B.  Forbes," 
wliich  towed  us  quickly  up  to  Lewis'  Wharf,  just 
as  the  day  had  ended.  I  heard  a  familiar  voice 
through  the  darkness,  and  the  ship  was  no  sooner 
fast,  than  I  went  over  the  rail  and  for  two  days 


254  ON  BOAKD  THE  ROCKET. 

abandoning  myself  to  the  joys  of  home  I  tried  to 
forget  that  there  ever  was  a  "Ship  Dublin." 
Then  I  visited  the  ship,  and  the  captain  at  once 
inquired  "  Did  you  notice  how  it  blew  last  night  ? 
I  knew  it  was  coming;  I'm  not  often  deceived 
about  the  weather."  I  received  the  compliment  of 
being  asked  to  make  another  voyage  in  the  ship 
and  the  black  eyes  snapped  at  my  rather  perempt- 
ory refusal. 

The  owner  was  offended  with  me  for  leaving, 
and  finding  that  I  had  suffered  in  his  good  opinion 
by  doing  so,  I  ventured  after  some  days,  to  excuse 
myself  by  saying  just  enough  about  Capt.  Streeter 
to  justify  my  conduct.  He  was  very  indignant, 
wouldn't  allow  such  a  man  to  sail  for  him,  but 
didn't  see  how  he  could  discharge  him  just  then. 
He  would  tell  him  to  do  differently  though.  One 
of  the  partners  remarked,  "  Oh,  they  all  swear  and 
fight,  and  Capt.  Streeter  is  the  smartest  com- 
mander we  have  ever  had." 

He  sailed  again  on  another  Russia  voyage  with 
the  old  instructions  to  "  use  his  best  efforts  to  sup- 
press all  vice  and  immorality  on  board  and  promote 
the  welfare  of  his  crew."  How  he  did  it  the  fol- 
owing  letter  from  Mr.  Wright  the  mate,  written 
from  Cronstadt  will  tell : 

"  I  suppose  you  would  like  to  hear  how  this  old 
boat  gets  along  and  what  kind  of  a  voyage  we've 
had  so  far.  When  we  left  the  wharf  at  Boston, 
I  called  the  men  to  come  out  of  the  forecastle  and 


Mil.  wuraiiT's  LKTTi:ii.  255 


go  to  wurk,  but  the  answers  I  got  weren't  very 
polite.  Tliey  called  out, 'we  want  to  make  our 
beds  up ;  don't  get  your  temper  in  an  uproar ;  doiTt 
iret'  and  some  other  remarks  that  you  can  fancy. 
I  got  pretty  mad,  and  I  just  picked  up  an  iron 
belaying-pin  and  went  into  the  forecastle  and  made 
Rome  howl.  All  hands  turned  on  me,  and  I  liad 
all  the  fighting  I  wanted.  Things  got  too  hot  for 
me  and  I  had  to  go  aft  and  ask  the  old  man  to 
come  in  and  help  me.  I  thought  he  would  be  very 
glad  to  have  such  a  chance  for  "  spiflicating 
sailors  "  as  he  calls  it,  and  some  men  I've  sailed 
with  wouldn't  have  asked  for  better  sport  than  to 
walk  into  those  sailors  and  make  them  take  the  meas- 
ure for  their  coffins  on  deck.  The  wav  the  old 
man  showed  the  white  feather  surprised  me.  He 
got  on  top  of  the  after-house,  with  a  pistol  in  his 
hand,  and  called  to  the  men  to  come  aft,  and  talked 
to  them  as  mild  as  a  sucking  parson.  They  were 
pretty  sullen,  and  five  men  swore  they  wouldn't  do 
a  hands  turn  of  work  on  board.  The  old  man  told 
me  to  put  them  in  irons,  and  I  did  it  without  much 
trouble,  for  they  had  too  much  headache  to  make 
any  more  fuss.  I  put  a  rope  through  between 
their  wrists  and  triced  them  up  with  the  main  lift 
tackles  till  their  feet  only  just  touched  the  deck. 
It  wasn't  long  before  the  '  wanted  to  turn  to. 
One  was  hurt  so  bad  that  we  thought  he  would 
die,  and  he  has  been  laid  up  thv.  whole  passage.  I 
have  had  several  sprees  with  the   men  since,  but 


256  ON  BOAllD  THE  ROCKET. 

now  I  only  have  to  hold  up  my  finger  and  they 
mind  me.  The  old  man  doesn't  say  much  to  the 
Bailers,  but  he's  down  on  the  second  mate,  who  is  a 
youngster,  and  doesn't  know  much,  and  he  hazes 
him  when  he  wants  to  let  off  steam.  We  are 
loading  for  Boston,  and  I  hope  we  will  get  there 
soon,  for  I've  been  about  long  enough  in  the  "  Dub- 
lin." I  hope  you'll  get  a  good  ship  and  a  captain 
that'll  suit  you,  but  they  are  scarce  fish  to  find." 

The  ship  was  sold  on  her  return,  and  the  captain 
entered  another  employ.  His  vessel  finally  went 
to  Australia.  When  riding  horseback  he  was 
thrown,  and  broke  his  ankle.  The  doctors  declared 
amputation  was  necessary.  With  his  usual  con- 
tempt for  medical  opinions  he  drove  them  away, 
and  thought  he  could  appl}^  to  his  own  case  the  skill 
he  had  exercised  on  Old  Harry,  but  in  a  few  days 
he  died  of  lockjaw.  His  end  appeared  significant 
to  those  who  knew  how  his  powers  of  speech  had 
been  misused.  .^  ,,, 


CHAPTER  X. 


COAST   OF  MADAGASCAR. 

•*  A  strong  nor' westerns  blowing,  Bill; 

Hark  I  don't  ye  hear  it  roar  now? 
Lord  help  'era,  how  I  pities  them 

Unhappy  folks  on  shore  now! " — Wm,  Fill, 

**In  noble  mhids  some  dregs  remain. 

Not  yet  purged  off,  of  spleen  and  sour  disdain.*' —  ^ope^ 

WE  sighted  the  coast  of  Madagascar  about  Fort 
Dauphin,  but  at  a  distance  of  nearly  fifty 
miles,  so  that  our  view  of  it  was  not  very  distinct. 
But  it  is  always  a  pleasure  to  a  sailor  to  see  land, 
and  a  great  relief  after  many  days  of  wearisome, 
changing,  wave  scenery  to  let  the  eye  rest  upon  the 
everlasting  hills.  The  mountains  symbolize  stabil- 
ity and  unchangeableness,  and  as  the  aspirations  of 
the  heart  are  ever  towards  those  things  most  in  con- 
trast with  present  experience,  so  the  sailor's  life  of 

257 


258  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

unrest  and  variableness  disposes  his  dream  of  liap- 
piness  to  be  one  of  enduring  repose.  Tliis  idea 
the  Land  as  contrasted  with  water  expresses  to  his 
mind.  A  thrilling  sensation  always  accompanies  the 
sound  of  "Land,  ho!"  and  longing  glances  are 
directed  to  the  faintest  loom  of  land  in  the  horizon. 
Our  easterly  winds  continued  and  took  us  to  the 
coast  of  Africa,  which  we  sighted  about  Algoa  Bay. 
Then  the  wind  became  light  and  variable  and  with 
smooth  water  we  sailed  slowly  along  in  sight  of  the 
land  for  four  days.  One  evening  we  sighted  the 
light  on  Cape  Agulhas,  the  southeast  point  of  Africa, 
and  with  the  wind  freshening  at  N.  N.  E.  soon  ran 
it  out  of  sight '^n  the  starboard  quarter.  Before  this 
breeze  sprang  up  we  were  in  company  with  a  large 
ship  showing  Dutch  colors.  She  sailed  alongside  of 
us  for  a  considerable  time,  then  slowly  gained  ahead, 
crossed  our  bow  and  in  a  few  minutes  disappeared 
from  sight,  though  the  twilight  gave  a  long  range  to 
the  vision.  Many  were  the  conjectures  about  her, 
and  some  of  our  crew  will  always  believe  they  saw 
the  veritable  "Flying  Dutchman,"  the  phantom 
ship  that  is  supposed  to  cruise  off  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  The  legend  concerning  her,  as  many  will 
remember,  is,  that  a  l^utch  captain,  who  had  en- 
countered very  severe  gales,  was  advised  to  put  the 
ship  back  to  a  port  of  distress,  but  swearing  a  ter- 
rible oath  he  declared  he  would  beat  around  the 
Cape  if  it  took  him  till  the  Day  of  Judgment.  In 
punishment  for  his  sin  he  is  doomed  to  battle  with 


A   LOW   BAROlSrETETl.  259 

the  elements  until  that  day,  and  his  battered  hulk, 
with  threadbare  sails  and  skeleton  crew  haunts  the 
southern  sea. 

At  eight  in  the  evening  we  passed  another  ship 
bound  the  same  way,  but  under  close-reefed  top- 
sails, whereas  we  had  the  royals  set.  We  hailed  her 
and  found  she  was  the  "  Meteor  "  from  Batavia,  but 
whither  she  was  bound,  or  where  she  hailed  from, 
we  failed  to  learn,  for  we  went  by  her  so  fast  there 
was  no  time  for  further  questions. 

"  What  can  she  be  doing  under  that  sail  ?"  asked 
the  mate. 

"  O,  she  has  got  a  prudent  captain,"  I  replied. 
*'  The  barometer  has  been  down  low  for  the  last  two 
days  and  no  doubt  there  is  a  gale  of  wind  coming 
on.  I  can't  take  in  sail  though  in  this  country,  with 
a  fair  wind  blowing,  until  I  see  the  breeze  coming. 
Every  mile  here  is  precious  and  as  long  as  there  is 
a  chance  to  gain  ahead  we  must  use  it.  But  you 
must  keep  your  eyes  peeled  to-night  for  nor'west 
squalls." 

At  ten  o'clock  I  carefully  inspected  the  wind  and 
weather.  It  was  a  bright  starlight  night,  with  not 
a  cloud  to  be  seen,  except  that  ahead  in  the  horizon 
was  a  low  streak  that  looked  like  a  fog  bank.  A 
fresh  breeze  was  blowing  from  the  northward  driv- 
ing the  ship  along  nine  knots,  with  the  yards  just 
clear  of  the  baeksta3'^s,  all  sail  being  set.  The  mate 
bad  the  watch  on  deck,  and  I  said  to  him,  '*  This  is 
tiue,  I  only  hope  it  will  last,  but  the  glass  says,  No. 


260  ON  BOARD   THE  ROCKET. 

However,  very  likely  we'll  have  good  warning  be- 
fore the  change  comes.  Keep  a  sharp  lookout  and 
if  it  breezes  on,  or  the  weather  looks  threatening, 
get  the  light  sails  off  of  her  and  give  me  a  call." 

In  half  an  hour  after  that,  the  mate  shouted 
*'  clew  up  the  fore  royal,"  but  no  sooner  had  they 
let  go  the  halyards  than  a  furious  blast  from  the 
north-west  struck  her  flat  aback.  The  helm  was 
put  hard  up  and  having  a  good  deal  of  headway 
the  vessel  fortunately  "fell  off."  None  of  the 
watch  below  needed  a  call  for  every  one  was  out 
of  his  bunk  in  a  few  seconds  as  the  bark,  nearly 
on  her  beam  ends,  and  the  shaking  sails,  gave  their 
own  summons.  I  was  on  deck  promptly  and 
shouted,  "  Lower  down  the  spanker ; "  but  the 
mate  had  his  men  forward  hauling  down  the  jib 
and  flying-jib,  for  the  sheets  had  parted  and  the 
sails  were  blowing  hito  ribbons.  The  second  mate 
got  his  watch  along  aft  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in 
the  meantime  I  jumped  on  top  of  the  after-house 
to  let  go  the  spanker  thruat-halyards.  As  I  passed 
forward  of  the  mizzen-mast  to  go  to  leeward,  the 
wind  and  the  inclination  of  the  vessel  gave  me  a 
slide,  and  away  I  went  head  foremost  off  the  house 
on  to  the  main  deck.  I  had  on  rubber  boots  with 
my  pants  tucked  into  them,  and  as  I  fell  the  belay- 
ing-pin  of  the  main  brace  went  up  the  right  boot 
leg  and  there  I  hung,  heels  up  and  head  down  in 
the  lee-scuppers,  while  the  good  bark  was  lying 
beam  on  to  the  hurricane,  which  threatened  every 


A   CATB  OF  GOOD   HOPE  QALE.  SiOl 

moment  to  dismast  her,  and  in  the  meantime  was 
blowing  to  pieces  a  number  of  her  sails.  The 
night  was  pitchy  dark  and  the  rain  poured  in  large 
drops  which,  with  the  force  of  the  wind,  struck  like 
hail,  while  the  storm  roared  with  a  sound  such  as 
that  with  which  the  express  train  affrights  one 
who  stands  on  the  platform  of  a  country  station 
past  which  it  flies.  I  managed  to  extricate  myself 
from  this  awkward  position,  and  crawling  to  wind- 
ward renewed  the  directions  for  shortening  sail. 
The  vessel  was  run  off  to  the  S.  E.  for  two  hours 
while  we  took  in  and  furled  every  sail  except  the 
close-reefed  main-topsail  and  then  she  was  brought 
to  the  wind  on  the  port  tack.     , 

That  was  a  night  we  long  remembered,  and  a 
hard  time  the  crew  had  furling  the  wet  sails  in  the 
cold  rain,  but  there  was  one  alleviation  to  their  dis- 
comfort, for  I  had  the  cook  "  roused  out "  and 
ordered  him  to  make  coffee  for  all  hands ;  and  as 
soon  as  she  was  hove  to,  a  mug  of  hot  coffee  and 
a  cake  of  hard  bread  gave  them  one  of  the  greatest 
treats  they  ever  had  in  their  lives. 

"  The  prudent  captain  got  the  best  of  it  this 
time,*'  I  said  to  the  mate. 

'^  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,  sir,"  said  he  ;  "  if  he's 
been  waiting  two  days  for  the  wind  to  blow  we've 
gained  enough  distance  on  him  to  pay  for  a  good 
deal  more  damage  than  we've  got." 

"But  it's  a  lucky  job  we  did  not  lose  our 
masts,"  I  said ;  "if  1  icre  had  been  a  flaw  anywhere 


2G2  ON  BOARD  TFTE   ROCKET. 

they  would  have  gone.  Things  held  on  well. 
Didn't  it  give  you  any  warning  ?  *' 

"No,  sir,*'  said  tlie  mate.  "  That  bank  that  was 
hanging  there  ahead,  when  you  were  on  deck,  was 
wliat  did  tlie  mischief.  It  seemed  to  hold  about 
so  and  didn't  look  very  threatening,  but  in  five 
minutes  it  spread  right  up  over  the  sky.  I  made  a 
start  to  get  sail  in  before  it  struck  her,  but  I 
wasn't  in  time." 

The  gale  blew  very  hard  through  the  night  and 
continued  for  seven  da3^s,  but  it  moderated  at 
times  so  that  we  set  the  whole  topsails  for  a  few 
hours.  Four  different  times  we  were  obliged  to 
heave  to  under  the  close-reefed  main-topsail  and 
once  it  was  "  goose-winged."  This  time  it  blew  a 
fearful  gale.  There  was  a  black  overcast  sky, 
hanging  so  low  down  that  it  seemed  not  far  above 
the  mast  heads,  and  driving  across  with  great 
rapidity.  Hard  hail-squalls  now  and  then  passed 
over,  and  every  face  had  to  be  shielded  from  the 
stinging  violei  ce  of  the  hailstones.  The  sea  was 
tremendous.  k.t  times  there  would  be  but  one 
wave  in  sight,  that,  the  whole  ocean,  and  towering 
high  up  above  the  rail  almost  even  with  the  tops 
it  would  come  rolling  on  seeming  to  bear  inevitable 
destruction  ;  ^^ut  as  it  approached,  the  good  bark 
would  gradi//.dly  mount  up  its  side,  and  then  be 
whirled  up  ord  lifted  over  its  summit  like  a  little 
toy.  As  th<\  waves  broke,  the  wind  lifted  the 
whole   pvo'/y  into  its  arms  and  bore   it  onward 


Fishing  off  the  Cape. 


THE  TUACK. 


2G5 


mingling  sea  and  air,  driving  the  spray  in  hori- 
zontal lines  high  aloft  across  the  ship.  At  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  sea  broke  alongside 
and  a  good  portion  of  its  top  came  tumbling  in 
over  the  weather  rail.  Nothing  could  resist  its 
force.  In  went  the  galley  and  forecastle  doors, 
the  water-cask  lashings  gave  way,  the  pig-pen  on 
the  main  hatch  was  smashed  all  to  pieces,  the  spare 
main-yard  broke  adrift,  and  the  sea,  having  spent 
its  force,  found  a  passage  for  itself  through  the 
lee  ports. 

After  this  gale  a  calm  prevailed  for  a  few  hours 
and  we  heeded  Horsburgh's  praise  of  the  fishing 
on  the  Banks  of  Agulhas,  by  trying  our  fortune 
with  the  line.  The  only  result,  however,  was  the 
accompanying  sketch  of  the  performance. 

By  these  gales  we  lost  eight  days  on  our  passage 
and  only  gained  one  hundred  miles  in  nine  days, 
an  inspection  of  our  track  for  ten  days  will  show 
how  hard  it  is  sometimes  for  sailing  vessels  to  make 
quick  passages. 


Tlr^t.  cicuj 


266  ON   BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

When  fifty  days  out  we  sighted  the  revolving 
light  on  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  the  next  day  hav- 
ing a  light  westerly  wind  we  stood  along  the  coast 
to  the  northward  and  enjoyed  a  fine  view  of  Table 
Mountain. 

This  turning  of  the  corner  was  a  joyous  event. 
Now  we  pointed  the  ship's  head  towards  home  and 
realized  that  we  were  actually  bound  there,  which  it 
was  hard  to  do  while  our  course  had  any  southing 
in  it.  Fine  weather  regions  lay  before  us,  and  an 
immense  load  was  removed  from  the  captain's  mind 
by  the  safe  "  doubling  of  the  Cape." 

South-east  winds  set  in  next,  and  we  went  "  roll- 
ing down  to  St.  Helena"  before  fresh  trades, 
with  very  fine  weather. 

The  steady  winds  and  settled  weather  of  the 
South  Atlantic  are  always  taken  advantage  of  by 
the  homeward  bound  ships  to  tar  down  the  rigging, 
pjrint  and  "  fix  up  "  generally  for  port.  It  is  cus- 
tomary to  keep  all  hands  then,  even  in  ships  where 
it  is  not  the  continual  practice.  That  is,  instead  of 
having  only  half  of  the  crew  at  work  at  a  time  and 
alternating  every  four  hours,  all  hands  are  kept  on 
deck  in  the  afternoon  from  one  o'clock  until  six. 
They  all  get  dinner  together  at  twelve  and  no  work 
is  done  from  noon  until  one.  At  one  all "  turn  to," 
and  either  all  hands  get  supper  together  at  six,  or 
one  watch  gets  their's  at  half-past  five  and  the  other 
at  six.  Under  the  watch  and  watch  system  a  sailor 
is  on  deck  ten  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four  on  one 


WATCir   AND   WATCFT.  2G7 

day  and  fourteen  hours  on  the  next,  making  twenty- 
four  hours  of  work  and  twenty-four  of  rest  in  forty- 
eight.  In  tlie  all-hands  system  a  man  is  on  deek 
thirteen  hours  one  day  and  fourteen  and  a  half  the 
next,  making  twentj^-seven  and  a  half  hours  of  work 
and  twenty  and  a  half  of  rest  in  forty-eight.  To 
the  advocates  of  the  eight-hour  system,  this  may 
seem  an  undue  proportion  of  working  hours,  but 
it  is  to  be  remembered,  however,  that  half  of  these 
hours  occur  in  the  night  time,  when,  if  the  wind 
is  steady  and  weather  fine,  there  is  no  work  to  be 
done,  and  if  the  helmsman  and  the  lookout  are 
wide  awake  and  the  crew  answer  promptly  to  a  sum- 
mons, it  would  not  be  noticed  in  most  ships  if  the 
men  stole  a  nap  on  deck  between  times.  But  in 
"Iiard  ships"  the  men  are  always  kept  moving. 
The  officers  of  cOwTse  at  all  times  in  their  watch  on 
deck  must  be  wide  awake  and,  it  is  presumed,  on 
their  feet,  so  that  keeping  all  hands  is  more  of  a 
privation  to  them  than  it  is  to  the  sailors. 

The  mate  asked  me  one  night  after  we  got  past 
the  Cape,  if  he  should  begin  now  to  keep  all  hands 
until  the  work  was  done. 

**  Do  you  think  you  could  get  the  work  done  with 
watch  and  watch  ?  " 

**  I  suppose  we  could,"  said  the  mate,  *'  but  we 
shall  have  to  keep  driving  at  it  right  up  to  Boston 
Light." 

"  Did  you  ever  go  through  the  trades  with  watch 
and  watch  ?  "  I  asked. 


268  ON   BOARD   THE  llOCKET. 

"  No,  sir,  I  never  did,"  said  the  mute. 

*'  Well,  I  never  did  myself  till  last  voyage,  then 
I  was  so  well  pleased  v/ith  tlie  result  that  I  shoulJ 
like  to  try  it  again.  The  voyage  before  that,  I  came 
oil  deck  one  night,  while  we  were  keeping  all  hands, 
and  found  the  second  mate  sitting  on  the  bumpkin, 
his  arms  on  the  rail  and  his  head  buried  down  in 
them,  while  he  was  snoring  after  the  style  called 
'  driving  the  pigs  to  market.'  The  next  day  I  had 
a  talk  with  him  about  his  neglect  of  duty.  He 
acknowledged  his  fault,  but  said  it  occurred  in  spite 
of  all  he  could  do.  He  said  he  had  tried  every 
way  he  could  think  of  to  keep  himself  awake.  He 
had  walked  the  deck  until  he  was  compelled  from 
sheer  exhaustion  to  sit  down,  for  it  was  a  hot  sultry 
night,  and  he  had  been  on  his  legs  all  day  long. 
He  assured  me  very  earnestly  that  he  had  not  neg- 
lected  his  duty  intentionally.  Said  he :  '  Cap'ii, 
did  you  ever  have  any  fault  to  find  with  the  way  I 
kept  the  night  watch  before  we  had  all  hands  ? ' 

'  No,'  I  answered,  '  none  whatever.' 

*  No,  sir,'  he  said,  '  and  I  am  sure  you  had  no 
occasion  to.  Excuse  me,'  said  he,  '  I  don't  mean  to 
growl  at  your  way  of  doing  things,  but  I  can't  feci 
that  an  officer  is  greatly  to  blame  if  he  is  drowsy 
at  night  in  an  all-hands  ship.  I  was  studying  it 
all  out  last  night  while  I  was  dragging  myself  fore 
and  aft  the  deck  trying  to  keep  awake,  and  this  was 
what  I  made  out :  I  get  nineteen  hours  to  myself 
out  of  forty-eight,  and  when  yoii  take  out  meal 


WATCH   AND   WATCH.  269 

timed,  dog-watch,  a  little  time  for  keeping  clothes 
iu  order  and  what  time  I  give  up  to  the  ship  in  my 
watch  below  to  holp  things  along,  I  can't  get  more 
than  twelve  hours'  sleep  in  two  days.  Six  hours  a 
day  is  thought  a  small  allowance  on  shore  where  a 
man  can  sleep  it  right  through.  But  our  rest  is  so 
broken  I  don't  believe  it  does  as  much  good. 
Three  hours  and  a  half  or  four  hours  is  the  longest 
sleep  one  can  get  at  a  time,  and  then  he  has  to 
stand  four  hours  on  deck  before  he  has  a  chance  to 
get  another  cat  nap.' 

*'I  felt  he  had  a  good  deal  of  truth  on  Ids  side, 
though  I  didn't  like  to  tell  him  so,  and  I  thought 
a  good  deal  about  it  afterwards.  The  next  voyage 
I  resolved  to  try  how  watch  and  watcli  would 
work,  and  when  we  got  into  the  S.  E.  trades,  home- 
ward bound,  I  told  the  mate  to  say  to  the  men : 
'  There's  just  so  much  work  that's  got  to  be  done 
before  this  ship  reaches  port ;  now  if  you  can  do 
it  with  watch  and  watch,  you  shall  have  it,  but  if 
there's  any  ' sogering '  or  loafing  youll  be  kept  up 
in  the  afternoon.' 

''  We  began  it.  The  men  all  worked  with  a  will, 
and  I  am  certain  that  as  much  was  done  as  on  tlie 
previous  voyage.  1  took  special  pains  to  compare, 
and  all  through  I  noticed  that  there  was  more 
drive,  and  less  loafing,  going  for  a  drink,  turns 
round  the  foremast,  and  long  spells  at  the  grind- 
stone. On  some  of  the  large  jobs,  too,  I  had  a  good 
chance  to  judge.     I  suppose  there's  vo  job  that  ad- 


270  ON   BOAKD  THE   KOCKET. 

mits  of  as  many  'soger  moves'  as  scrubbing  sliip 
outside.  The  men  come  up  on  deck  every  little 
while  to  haul  up  or  '  fleet '  the  stages  they  are 
working  on,  and  then  they  spin  out  the  time  before 
they  get  back  by  sharpening  knives  and  scrapers, 
or  getting  a  drink,  and  a  good  many  other  moves 
that  every  one  knows,  who  has  ever  had  to  follow 
up  old  sailors. 

"  When  we  had  all  hands  we  scrubbed  the  ship 
around  outside  in  one  day  and  thought  we  had 
done  a  smart  piece  of  work ;  but  with  watch  and 
watch  we  scrubbed  her  and  cleaned  the  chain- 
plates  below  the  channels,  beside,  in  the  same  time, 
and  as  far  as  I  could  see  the  work  was  done  fully 
as  well.  The  difference  was,  that  the  men  all  felt 
an  interest  in  showing  how  the  watch  and  watch 
system  would  work,  and  there  was  no  dodging,  or 
loafing,  or  spinning  j^arns  on  the  stages. 

*'  Now  I  shoidd  like  to  have  vou  do  the  same 
thing  this  passage,  and  the  fact  is,  I  want  to  see  it 
proved  a  second  time  before  I  go  over  to  it  alto- 
gether." 

The  *iext  Monday  the  sailors  supposed  that  we 
should  begin  of  course  to  keep  all  hands  in  the 
afternoon,  and  when  eight  bells  was  struck  at 
noon,  they  all  opened  their  ears  and  looked  out  of 
the  corners  of  their  eyes  at  the  mate,  waiting  for 
the  expected  and  dreaded  order,  "  All  hands  get 
dinner."  But  nothing  was  said,  and  the  men  kept 
on  with  their  work,  with  their  brains  full  of  sur- 


SecoLid  officer  settMi-  for  his  portrait. 


WA.TCII   AND   WATCH.  273 

mises  as  to  what  it  meant.  At  one  bell,  when  the 
watch  came  out,  the  mate  mustered  all  hands  at 
the  main-hatch,  and  said  to  them  :  "  Men,  the  cap- 
tain says  he's  willing  to  ;^ive  you  watch  and  watch 
all  the  time,  if  you  can  get  the  work  done.  But 
this  bark  has  got  to  be  put  in  just  as  fine  order  as 
any  ship  that  ever  went  into  Boston  harbor.  Now 
we'll  try  you  arid  see  what  you  can  do.  But  if 
the  work  lags,  or  there's  any  hanging  back,  I'll 
have  you  out." 

So  we  went  to  work  with  the  watch,  fitting  the 
rigging,  and  tarring  down.  The  men  did  as  well 
as  we  could  wish,  things  went  on  quietly,  and  the 
work  disappeared  day  by  day  faster  than  we  had 
expected.     -  ■ 

The  crew  presented  a  rather  uncouth  appearance 
on  deck  during  this  period,  for  one  suit  of  clothes 
was  devoted  to  serve  through  the  tarring  and  then 
go  overboard.  The  officers  were  not  much  more 
attractive  in  appearance,  as  the  second  mate's 
portrait  will  testify. 

It  had  a  good  moral  effect  to  secure  one  day's 
cleanliness  out  of  sevehi,  the  result  of  our  system 
of  services  in  the  cabin  on  Sunday. 

The  sailors  in  the  Rocket  were  favored  with  good 

living,  watch  and  watch,  and  kind  treatment.    They 

were  never  cursed,  nor  called  by  hard  names.     In- 

Btr action  was  given  to  tliose  who  desired  it,  and 

1  religious  influences  pervaded  the  vessel.     The  voy- 


274  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

age  was  a  pleasant  one.  Fine  weather  and  favoring 
breezes  usually  prevailed,  and  the  fairest  regions  of 
earth  were  visited.  If  sailors  could  ever  be  happy 
and  contented,  these  circumstances,  which  probably 
were  in  marked  contrast  to  the  experiences  of  many, 
bliould  have  produced  this  result  upon  that  crew. 

When  the  voyage  commenced  they  had  no  praise 
too  good  to  bestow.  They  allowed  they  were  in  a 
good  ship  ;  the  captain  was  the  best  man  they  ever 
sailed  with ;  the  officers  were  perfect  gentlemen ; 
the  "  grub  "  was  first-rate.  But,  on  the  homeward 
passage,  although  everything  was  the  same  as  when 
outward  bound,  the  sailors  sat  down  on  their  chests 
in  the  forecastle  with  their  feast  of  "  soft-tack  "  and 
apple-sauce  in  their  pans,  and,  as  the  saying  is,  they 
growled  like  bears  with  sore  heads.  Their  behavior 
on  deck  and  manner  of  working  was  unexception- 
able, but  if  their  life  and  talk  in  the  foiecastle  were 
chronicled  it  would  convey  the  impression  that 
they  considered  themselves  an  ill-used,  poorly-fed 
and  oppressed  set  of  men. 

The  mate  one  evening  practised  an  eaves-dropping 
in  which  he  proved  the  truth  of  the  old  proverb, 
''listeners  never  hear  any  good  of  themselves." 
Old  Nielson,  a  Swede,  the  best  sailor-man  in  the 
ship,  with  his  moutli  stuffed  nearly  full  of  molasses 
gingerbread,  was  leading  the  growl.  Said  he, "  I've 
been  to  sea  thirty-two  years  and  I  never  sailed  in 
a  worse  ship  than  this  is.     Nobody  aft  knows  what 


sailors'  growls.  275 

V 

vre  get  to  eat,  and  that  nigger  gives  us  just  as  little 
as  he  likes.  Last  ship  I  was  in  the  cap'n  or  mate 
:  went  into  the  galley  every  day  and  saw  things  were 
cooked  right  and  plenty  of  'em,  but  here  we  don't 
get  any  more  notice  taken  of  us  than  though  we 
were  a  parcel  of  dogs.  If  the  old  man  had  som^ 
crews  with  him  I  bet  he  wouldn't  impose  on  them. 
But  sailors  don't  seem  to  have  any  spunk  now-a- 
days,  same  as  they  used  to.  There's  a  whole  barrel 
of  vinegar  down  below,  and  yet  we  can't  have  but 
two  bottles  full  a  week.  What  does  he  want  to 
carry  it  home  for  ?  He's  keeping  it  back  just  to 
spite  us.  Do  you  call  that  being  a  Christian  ?  I 
call  him  a  mean  old  skin-flint ;  if  he's  going  to 
heaven,  I  don't  want  to  g^o  there." 

Now  what  did  all  this  mean  ?  Why,  just  this. 
They  had  found  some  of  the  gingerbread  not  done 
quite  through.  That  was  all.  On  board  of  most 
ships  they  would  have  been  hard  at  work  with  "  all 
hands  on  deck,"  all  the  afternoon,  and  had  hard 
bread  and  beef  only  for  supper.  No  doubt  they 
would  have  enlivened  the  meal  by  growling  about 
that  in  just  the  same  way.  In  spite  of  all  his  mut- 
terings  in  the  forecastle,  this  man  Nielsen  would 
come  out  on  deck  and  be  a  model  man  in  his  be- 
havior. His  cheerful,  "Aye,  aye,  sir!"  would 
ring  out  to  every  order,  and  his  respectful  manners 
joined  to  his  good  seamanship  had  made  him  a 
favorite  with  captain  and  officers. 

The  explanation  of  this  unreasonable  conduct  ia 


276  ON   BOARD   THE   KOCKET. 

that   expressed  in   tlie   well-known  lines  of  Dr. 
Watts: 

"  Let  bears  and  lions  growl  and  fight, 
For  His  their  nature  to.'* 

So  it  is  with  an  old  sailor,  he  must  growl.  Officers 
of  ships  often  say,  they  would  not  give  a  snap  for  a 
sailor  that  didn't  growl,  and  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
truth  in  the  remark.  It  by  no  means  follows  that 
all  who  growl  are  good  men,  but  it  is  certainly  a 
fact  that  most  of  the  thorough-going  old  sailors  are 
inveterate  growlers. 

This  growling  is  a  natural  result  of  the  life  they 
lead.  *  Spleen  enters  more  or  less  into  the  consti- 
tution of  every  one's  character,  and  all,  at  times, 
desire  an  opportunity  of  exercising  this  latent  spite 
npon  some  person  or  thing. 

The  man  on  shore  has  a  wide  range  of  objects 
upon  which  to  scatter  it.  There  are  his  household 
and  family  arrangements,  his  employment  and  bus- 
iness relations,  the  religious  tenets  of  others,  the 
affairs  of  his  city  and  the  politics  of  the  country. 
He  comes  home  from  his  day's  business  with  an  ac- 
cumulation of  spleen,  resulting  from  numerous 
annoyances.  His  good  breeding  and  consideration 
perhaps  keep  him  from  venting  it  upon  his  family, 
and  he  holds  it  in  until  after  tea ;  then  he  takes  up 
the  evening  paper,  glances  over  its  contents  and 
entertains  his  patient  wife  or  a  friendly  neighbor 
with  a  good,  hearty  growl  about  the  .stupidity  of 
the  cabinet  officers,  the  shortrsightedness  of  the 


SAILORS    GROWLS.  277 

President,  the  abs'irdity  of  the  financial  policy,  and 
then  berates  a  politician  for  his  foolish  speech.  Now 
his  pent-up  wrath  has  escaped.  He  feels  easier. 
Gradually  cheerful  conversation  creeps  in  as  his 
shrewd  companion  notices  his  subsiding  temper. 
Soon  all  his  vexations  have  escaped  his  mind  or 
become  far  lighter  burdens,  and  the  next  morning 
he  walks  down  town  with  a  good  courage  and  joy- 
ous heart. 

But  as  for  Jack,  what  are  his  diversions  of  mind? 
What  does  he  care  for  politics  or  religion  or  finance  ? 
Or,  if  he  does  care,  where  are  the  newspapers  and 
tlie  evening  caller  ?  Where  are  the  public  amuse- 
ments or  the  endearments  and  consolations  of  social 
life  ?  There  are  almost  no  occurrences  to  direct 
his  thoughts  away  from  a  continual  contemp'.atiuu 
of,  and  brooding  over  the  unpleasant  circumstances 
of  his  life,  and  for  lack  of  these  he  must  continue 
to  dwell  upon  the  sole  objects  which  interest  him, 
and  as  a  natural  result  their  importance  is  magni- 
fied and  the  habit  of  such  contemjDlation  increases 
with  every  voyage. 

When  the  mate  reported  the  "  growl "  he  had 
overheard,  I  said,  "If  I  was  a  betting  man  I  would 
lay  a  heavy  wager  that  the  day  old  Nielson  arrives 
in  port  he  will  say  I  am  the  best  captain  he  ever 
sailed  with,  and  he  never  in  his  life  sailed  in  such  a 
good  ship  before."  An  exact  verification  of  this 
remark  occurred  on  arrival.  It  happened  that  the 
mate  was  riding  in  a  horse-car,  when  old  Niolson 


278  ON  BOARD  THE  EOCKET. 

came  in  and  sat  beside  him.  He  began  to  talk  over 
the  voyage,  and  soon  excLiiraed,  "  I've  been  to  sea 
thirty-two  years  and  that's  the  best  ship  ever  I 
sailed  in,  and  if  I  go  to  sea  all  my  life,  I  never  expect 
to  find  another  man  like  our  captain."  This  speech 
was  very  likely  as  far  from  the  truth  as  were  the 
growls  uttered  at  sea,  but  it  illustrates  a  proverbial 
habit  of  the  sailor,  to  complain  of  his  present  cir- 
cumstances and  speak  well  of  the  past.  Amidst 
the  growling  of  the  forecastle  it  is  seldom  that  "  last 
ship  that  I  was  in  "  is  mentioned  without  praise. 
This  fact  ought  to  be  remembered  to  the  sailor's 
credit.  However  ungrateful  and  unappreciative  he 
may  appear  with  regard  to  his  lot,  in  his  memories 
the  bright  things  are  uppermost,  and  he  is  not 
prone  to  speak  evil  of  old  scenes  and  associates 
without  good  reason. 

Reflections  upon  the  incident  narrated  led  to  the 
attempt  to  illustrate  the  subject  in  rhyme,  by  verses, 
to  be  called  "  Sailors'  Opinions,"  which  were  to  be 
divided  into  two  parts,  entitled  "  This  Ship,"  and 
*'  Last  Ship."  In  this  effort  it  was  designed  to  por- 
tray a  sailor's  comments  upon  the  ship  he  was  then 
sailing  in,  and  the  same  man's  expressions  concern- 
ing the  same  ship,  uttered  during  his  next  voyage 
in  another  vessel.  They  are  produced  here,  as  they 
may  be  recognized  as  truthful  by  some  who  have 
lived  in  a  ship's  forecastle.  It  may  be  premised 
that  sailors  in  the  watch  below  generally  talk  in 
the  evening  from  eight  till  half-past  eiglit  (one  bell), 


sailors'  growls.  279 

and  this  is  a  favorite  time  for  "  growls.'*  When 
one  bell  strikes,  pipes  drop  from  the  mouth,  growla 
cease  and  snores  begin. 


SAILORS'  OPINIONS. 

Part  L 

"this  ship." 

SCENE,—  A  ship* 5  forecastle  —  Crew  in  their  bunks  • 
Jack  loquitur » 

TvE  followed  the  sea  over  thirty-two  years, 
In  the  Navy,  hard  Packets  and  wild  Privateers  ; 
''  But  of  all  the  old  vessels  that  ever  I  cursed, 

Just  shiver  my  timbers  if  this  ain't  the  worst. 

The  bloody  old  wall-sided  cranky  concern  — 
-    I  think  every  squall  she  is  sure  to  overturn. 

And  the  way  that  she  rolls  and  goes  pitching  about 
"Would  have  made  all  the  patience  of  Job  fizzle  out. 

'    It's  enough  to  provoke  a  good  parson  to  swear, 
To  see  the  bad  way  her  old  rotten  sails  tear. 
And  I  never  go  higher  aloft  than  the  top 
Without  fear  that  the  foot-ropes  will  give  me  a  drop. 

I  wonder  those  own  ers  are  suffered  to  live 
Who  send  out  a  ship  that  will  leak  like  a  sieve. 
Which  every  time  that  she  gives  a  bad  jump 
Makes  fifty  more  strokes  to  be  worked  at  the  pump 

We  ought  to  arrest  the  old  man  as  a  cheat 

For  bringing  us  here  where  there's  nothing  to  eat ; 


280  ON  BOAKD  THE  ROCKET. 

It's  a  terrible  shame  for  an  old  Yankee  tub 
To  feed  her  good  men  with  such  horrible  grub. 

To  be  sure,  he  now  and  then  gives  us  some  flour; 
But  the  m-jan  dirty  rat,  it's  because  it's  gone  sour, 
And  as  for  his  pies  and  the  dried  apple  sauce, 
I'd  a  precious  deal  rather  have  good  old  salt  horse. 

We  slave  every  week  day  on  board  of  the  craft, 
But  on  Sunday  the  hypocrite  makes  us  come  aft  — 
He  preaches  an  hour  about  Christian  hopes. 
Then  sends  us  on  deck  to  give  swigs  at  the  ropes. 

There's  a  heap  of  good  sense  in  the  famous  old  rule 
Always  choose  a  big  rascal  before  a  great  fool. 
And  one  thing  I  promise,  whatever  may  happen, 
I'll  not  sail  again  with  a  psalm-singing  Cap'n. 

The  ship  must  have  been  in  amazing  great  straits 
When  she  took  such  poor  things  as  these  men  are  for 

mates. 
It  worries  one's  temper  beyond  all  its  bounds 
To  be  bossed  round  the  decks  by  such  humbugging 

hounds. 

Now  I  shipmates,  you  know  I'm  not  given  to  growl. 

And  I  hate  a  bad  temper  with  all  of  my  soul ; 

But  worked  and  most  starved  till  one  scarcely  can 

crawl, 
A  man  that  won't  growl  is  just  no  man  at  all 


SAILORS'  OPINIONS. 


Part  ii. 


*'LAST  SHIP." 

Last  time  I  went  to  sea 
I  sailed  on  board  the  Rocket  \ 
Those  were  good  days  for  me 
And  money  in  my  pocket. 

She  was  a  perfect  boat, 
An  easy  one  to  handle — 
For  speed  no  ship  afloat 
Could  hold  to  her  a  candle. 

She  tacked  just  like  a  yacht 
And  lay  to  like  a  duck ; 
If  others  thrived  or  not 
She  always  was  in  luck. 

The  owners  fitted  out 

In  such  a  liberal  way. 

All  things  were  trim  and  stout 

From  keel  to  royal  stay. 

281 


282  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

The  captain  was  a  trump  — 
A  perfect  **  saint  in  boots  " ; 
He  never  gave  a  thump 
To  greenhorns  nor  galoots. 

The  mates  were  tip-top  men. 
Gave  us  our  watch  below ; 
No  oaths  and  curses  then 
Though  it  blew  high  or  low. 

We  mustered  aft  to  prayer 
And  navigation  classes  — 
We  had  the  best  of  fare 
And  lots  of  duff  and  lasses 

I've  sailed  for  many  a  year 
And  soon  will  have  to  dock  it ; 
But  while  I've  breath  I'll  cheer 
And  brag  about  the  Rockets 


Even  in  the  cabin  there  was  a  tendency  to  dis- 
satisfaction, and  the  passenger  expressed  his  weari- 
ness of  our  simple  and  restricted  fare  by  compos- 
ing a  parody  on  the  "  Ode  to  the  Rocket,"  in 
which  she  was  abused  as  heartily  as  any  old  sailor 
could  have  done  it.  His  pencil  v/as  also  called 
into  requisition,  and  the  scantiness  of  fare  on  the 
cabin  table  was  graphically  portrayed. 

Sea  life  is  a  severe  test  of  disposition,  and  it 
must  be  a  remarkable  amiability  which  can  endure 
its  vicissitudes  without  complaint.*  Lord  Byron's 
prescription  for  truly  knowing  a  man :    "  Go  to 


passenger's  gbowls.  283 

sea    with  him,'*    is  certainly  correct,   as  regards 
knowledge  of  a  man's  temper. 

The  first  verse  of  the  Parody  will  serve  as  an 
example  of  its  sentiment : 


«IN  THE  DOLDRUMS  — HOMEWARD  BOUND. 


The  Rocket  is  an  old  tub's  name, 

An  aged  Boston  bark  ; 
Her  lack  of  speed  is  known  to  fame. 

As  I  need  not  remark. 
For  fifteen  years  she's  rolled  and  pitched, 

And  leaked  in  every  clime. 
She's  worn  out  two  old  captains 

And  a  young  one  in  his  prime. 

Chorus,  —  The  Rocket  we  won't  praise. 
For  she's  a  wretched  bark, 
Homelier  than  Joe  Bowers'  dog. 
And  slower  than  Noah's  ark." 


» 


Our  stock  of  conversation  got  low  after  so  long 
a  season  of  intercourse,  and  many  trivial  arguments 
were  sustained  for  lack  of  better  material.  Per- 
haps the  most  frequent  of  these  minor  themes  was 
the  question,  whether  the  dish  which  sailors  always 
call  "  Hash,"  was  properly  hash  or  minced  meat. 

One  of  our  greatest  causes  of  annoyance,  and 


284  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

a  frequent  occasion  of  growls  was  the  presence  of 
cockroaches,  in  numbers  which  can  only  be  ex- 
pressed by  millions.  The  vessel  for  some  time  past, 
had  been  making  yearly  voyages,  which  brought 
her  home  in  the  summer  and  kept  her  in  the  Trop- 
ics in  the  winter,  so  this  army  had  never  been  ex- 
posed to  the  potent  destroyer,  cold  weather.  They 
were  not  the  little  creatures  that  housekeeepers 
are  unpleasanly  familiar  with,  but  were  almost  more 
like  birds  than  insects,  and  carried  out  this  resem- 
blance in  certain  conditions  of  the  atmosphere, 
when  they  took  to  flying,  tempting  one  to  jump 
overboard  to  escape  their  attacks  against  his  head. 
They^  were  omnipresent  day  and  night,  alive,  dead, 
whole  or  in  parts.  They  eat  the  bindings  of  books 
and  everything  that  had  paste  in  its  composition, 
and  their  especial  relish  seemed  to  be  for  pomade. 
In  spite  of  all  precautions  so  many  had  encamped 
in  the  sugar,  we  had  to  pass  our  tea  through  a 
strainer,  and  there  was  but  little  food  free  fiom 
their  presence  or  flavor,  after  it  was  sweetened. 
Were  it  a  less  disgusting  subject  I  could  fill  a 
volume  with  accounts  of  these  creatures.  I  will 
only  add  one  of  the  many  experiences  with  them. 
They  were  very  fond  of  frequenting  my  cabinet 
organ,  and  often  while  I  was  playing  a  note  would 
become  dumb.  An  inspection  would  usually  show 
a  cockroach  leg  caught  by  the  reeds  as  its  proprietor 
passed  over  them  and  left  it  behind  liim.  A  ship 
at  San  Francisco  had  to  pay  twenty  thousand  del- 


Illustrated  bill  of  fare. 


COCKROACHES.  287 

lars  for  damages  done  to  the  cargo  by  cockroaches. 
The  organ  on  leaving  Padang  had  a  more  agreeable 
inmate,  which  remained  in  it  for  several  weeks,  a 
cricket,  who  entertained  us  with  his  evening  chirp, 
and  lulled  one  to  sleep  with  the  pleasing  fancy  that 
he  was  on  shore. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


'AILORS'   RESOUBCBS. 


"  Nocesw Hi%   "f ,e  mother  of  invention."  —  Farquhar. 


^ 


•  A.  kuook-dovM  argument;  'tis  but  a  word  and  a  blow." 

—  Dry  den. 


1  "T^ERTILITY  of  resources  is  one  of  the  most  de- 
X.  sirable  traits  of  character  to  the  seaman. 
His  limited  means  and  appliances  beget  contrivance 
and  invention,  and  he  naturally  acquires  a  facility 
in  accomplishing  work  under  difficulties.  His 
whole  mode  of  life  is  an  exemplification  of  the 
possibility  of  making  much  out  of  little.  The 
sailor,  with  his  ''  chest "  for  a  chair,  his  knees  for  a 
table,  the  sheath-knife  and  spoon  his  only  utensils, 
secures  his  food  Tvith  all  the  necessary  benefit. 
With  the  scanty  sew^ag  materials,  buttons,  pins  and 
knicknacks  jumbled  together  in  his  "  ditty  box,'' 

288 


sailors'  besoubces.  289 

he  contrives  to  mend  his  clothes  or  rig  the  model 
of  a  ship  in  his  spare  hours. 

The  carpenter,  with  his  hammer  and  hatchet,  does 
an  amount  of  execution  astonishing  to  the  shore  arti- 
zan,  who  has  well  filled  tool-racks.  The  cook  woukl 
likewise  startle,  perhaps  offend,  the  ladies  sensibil- 
ities by  the  manner  in  which  his  appurtenances  do 
manifold  duties,  besides  those  considered  appropri- 
ate. The  mate  racks  his  brain  daily  to  discover  how 
to  repair  a  sail  without  canvas,  mend  a  chain  with- 
out spare  links,  paint  ship  without  brushes,  or  tar  the 
rigging  without  tar.  Tiie  captain  is  as  much  put  to  it 
as  any  one  in  contriving  for  all  the  departments  un- 
der his  care.  So  they  become  Jacks  of  all  trades, 
and  too  often  masters  of  none.  One  incident  of  a 
personal  nature  will  illustrate  the  manner  in  which 
necessity  often  becomes  the  mother  of  invention 
on  ship-board.  One  day  when  off  the  west  coast 
of  Sumatra,  the  carpenter  was  caulking  and  pay 
ing  the  deck-seams.  I  picked  up  a  little  bit  of  his 
pitch  and  put  it  in  my  mouth,  but  soon  removed  it 
with  the  gold  fillings  from  two  teeth  attached. 
Severe  toothache  soon  followed.  At  Padang  I  en- 
quired for  a  dentist,  but  to  learn  that  none  of  those 
kindly  torturers  had  yet  located  there.  The  sur- 
geon of  the  place  would  extract  the  teeth  for 
twenty  dollars  apiece,  but  the  pleasure  of  paying 
this  moderate  sum  was  no  inducement  to  lose  the 
"  ivories."  But  the  cavities  must  be  filled  to  ex- 
clude the  air.    Boy  Frank  had  been  in  a  dentist'? 


290  ON  BOARD  THE  SOCKET. 

oflSce,  so  he  was  summoned  to  the  council  on  the 
old  man's  toothache.  He  put  in  a  filling  of  pitch 
and  then  of  rubber,  but  they  were  not  destined  to 
remain.  Finally,  at  sea  the  pain  induced  the  reso- 
lution to  part  with  the  teeth.  Frank  was  called 
again.  There  were  no  forceps  in  the  ship,  and  an 
investigation  of  all  the  implements  led  to  the  selec- 
tion of  my  spring-punch.  The  tooth  of  this  was 
removed,  the  carpenter  filed  the  lips  to  make  them 
tenacious  of  grip,  the  big  Webster's  dictionary  was 
laid  on  the  cabin  table,  and  resting  my  head  back 
upon  this.  Dr.  Frank  made  a  desperate  effort  to 
pull  out  teeth,  gum  and  jaw  at  one  attack.  He 
was  speedily  driven  on  deck,  and  warned  not  to  try 
that  again.  At  last  he  thought  of  an  amalgam 
filling,  but  how  should  it  be  obtained  ?  I  possessed  a 
silver  ten-cent  piece,  saved  from  the  obliterating 
ravages  of  the  age  of  Greenbacks.  This  I  filed 
into  dust,  and  after  a  serious  consideration  my 
thermometer-tube  was  broken,  the  mercury  was 
extracted  and  mingled  with  the  silver.  Then  lay- 
ing my  head  once  more  on  the  dictionary,  the  cav- 
ities were  effectually  filled,  the  only  instruments 
used  by  the  dentist  being  a  crotchet  needle  and  a 
screw-driver.  It  was  not  till  three  vears  after,  that 
other  fillings  were  substituted  by  an  American 
dentist  in  China,  who  laughed  as  much  at  my  story 
of  the  previous  operation,  as  I  did  at  his  account 
of  the  way  the  King  of  Siam  tested  the  set  of  teeth 
made  for  him,  by  putting  this  worthy  dentist's  hand 


sailors'  resources.  291 

in  his  mouth,  and  nearly  biting  off  the  fingers.  He 
was  not  so  much  injured,  however,  as  to  be  uauble 
to  carry  off  the  bag  of  a  thousand  dollars  in  gold, 
the  price  of  his  work. 

Speaking  of  tarring  without  tar  reminds  me  how 
this  difficulty  was  overcome.  Having  had  a  great 
deal  of  work,  turning  in  and  fitting  the  rigging, 
the  supply  of  tar  gave  out,  and  v/hen  we  reached 
the  south-east  trades  in  the  Atlantic,  and  were 
rolling  down  to  St.  Helena,  an  inspection  of  the 
tar-barrel  showed  it  was  onlv  fit  for  a  bonfire  on 
the  next  dark  night.  How  should  we  make  the 
rigging  black  and  shiny?  was  the  query  of 
thoughts,  dreams  and  discussions  in  succeeding 
days  and  nights.  I  will  confess  what  I  did,  but 
do  not  recommend  the  process.  Two  bundles  of 
rattans  were  chopped  up  and  consumed  in  the 
cook's  stove  with  the  draft  checked.  The  ashes 
were  placed  in  a  barrel  and  pounded  fine  with 
an  impromptu  pestle,  then  linseed  oil  and  varnish 
were  added,  and  with  this  production,  well  stirred, 
all  the  ropes  were  ''tarred  "  with  such  good  effect 
that  many  old  sailors  admired  the  black  gloss  of 
the  rigging  as  they  inspected  the  vessel  at  Central 
Wharf.  But  using  up  the  paint  oil  for  this,  brought 
about  another  crisis.  How  should  we  paint  ship  ? 
That  was  most  essential  to  our  good  appearance. 
After  many  experiments  the  kerosene  oil  was  se- 
lected to  serve  as  the  substitute,  the  sailors'  whale 
oil  was  appropriated  to  cabin  use,  and  Jack  was 


292  ON   BOAIiD  THE  KOCKET, 

invited  to  illuminate  his  premises  with  a  elush 
lamp,  a  wick  floated  in  beef  fat  contained  in  a  tin 
can.  So  the  ship  was  painted  !  These  are  samples 
of  the  makeshifts  of  sea  life. 

The  first  moonless  evening  was  appointed  for 
the  final  ending  of  the  tar-barrel.  It  was  sawn  in 
two,  the  smaller  half  being  chopped  up  and  depos- 
ited with  the  carpenter's  chips  and  shavings  in  the 
remaining  part.  A  bit  of  old  rope  from  the 
"shakings  barrel "  suspends  it  over  the  side,  while 
the  cook  with  a  fire-brand  ignites  the  contents. 
As  the  flames  gather  volume  the  barrel  is  dropped 
into  the  sea.  The  sailors  spring  to  the  rail  or  into 
the  rigging  to  watch  it  as  it  emerges  from  under 
the  ship's  counter  and  is  left  astern  in  the  wake. 
For  awhile  it  blazes  fiercely  and  continuously, 
then  it  disappears  —  ah,  it's  gone  !  No,  the  swell 
hides  it.  There  it  is  again !  Its  disappearances 
^and  reappearances  occur  at  gradually  lengthening 
intervals  till  it  no  longer  can  be  seen  from  deck. 
The  second  mate  runs  half  way  up  the  mizzen- 
rigging  and  exclaims,  "I  see  it."  Soon  he  shouts 
"  I  can  just  see  it  from  the  topmast  cross-trees.'' 
Then  it  is  given  up,  faces  are  turned  :^rom  the 
stern  to  the  bow,  for  the  gaze  on  shipboard  is 
always  forward,  seldom  backwards,  and  as  the  ship 
presses  on  into  the  dark  night,  we  think  with  sub- 
dued feelings  of  the  lost  light,  and  fall  to  moraliz- 
ing or  musing  as  the  disposition  of  each  inclines 
bim. 


A  WILD  SHIP.  293 

The  south-east  trades  took  us  to  the  line  and  tlien 
the  doldrums  raged  again,  but  instead  of  giving  a 
repetition  of  the  miseries  of  this  region  I  will  re- 
lafe  the  second  mate's  yarn  about  a  "  Wild  Ship.'* 

One  calm  night  in  the  doldrums  I  went  on 
deck  in  the  middle  watch  to  see  if  there  were  anj* 
signs  of  a  breeze.  The  moon  "  had  scoffed  the 
clouds,"  and  shone  brilliantly  upon  the  glassy  sea. 
The  courses  were  hauled  up,  jib  and  stay-saila 
hauled  down,  and  the  vessel  made  no  motion 
ahead.  I  felt  that  I  could  not  sleep  till  a  breeze 
came  and  thought  I  would  stay  on  deck  and  help 
.  the  second  mate  keep  his  watch ;  so  I  called  him 
to  me,  and  us  we  leaned  over  the  rail,  I  said,  "  Mr. 
Bangs,  I  believe  you  told  me  you  sailed  in  the 
*  Bloodhound  '  once.  I  should  like  to  heir  about 
» your  voyage." 

So  he  told  the  following  yarn  : 

"  When  I  got  home  from  Australia  in  the  '  Grace 
Darling,'  after  I'd  had  a  lively  time  on  the  Cape, 
and  my  money  began  to  get  low,  I  went  up  to 
Boston  to  the  Sailors'  Home  and  began  to  look  for 
a  ship.  My  chum  Bill  Holmes  and  I  made  up  our 
minds  we  would  sail  together  again,  and  as  we 
cruised  about  the  wharves,  we  came  across  the 
ship  '  Bloodhound '  lying  at  India  wharf.  She 
was  an  extreme  clipper,  eighteen  hundred  tons 
register,  and  the  handsomest  vessel  I  ever  clapped 
eyes  on.  I  was  told  she  was  bound  out  to  '  Frisco,' 
and  that  evening  I  asked  the  ^Superintendent  of  the 


29-1  ON  BOAUD  TUE  KOCKET. 

Home  about  her,  for  I  felt  rather  shv  of  those 
crack  California  clippers.  I  had  been  shipmates 
with  a  man  who  was  with  Bully  Woodman  in  the 
'  Sea  Witch.'  He  had  a  fashion  of  shooting  at 
the  men  aloft  with  a  revolver,  or  would  let  go  the 
topsail  halyards  when  men  were  on  the  yard  and 
shake  them  overboard.  His  owners  paid  him  five 
thousand  dollars  a  year  and  fighting  expenses,  and 
sometimes  these  were  pretty  heavy.  They  used  to 
clear  the  ship  out  with  another  captain,  and  put 
Woodman  aboard  at  Sandy  Hook,  for  it  was  hard 
to  ship  a  crew  to  sail  with  him.  There  were  sev- 
eral men  of  that  style  in  those  clippers,  and  I 
thought  the  Superintendent  would  know  if  the 
*  Bloodhound '  was  a  safe  boat  to  go  in.  He  said 
she  belonged  to  Jones  and  Thompson  oue  of  the 
most  respectable  firms  in  Boston.  Deacon  Jones 
was  a  member  of  Old  South  church,  a  tip-top  man. 
He  often  gave  lectures  to  young  men  about  good 
principles  and  success  in  life,  and  it  was  certain  he 
wouldn't  allow  any  '  bullyragging '  in  one  of  his 
ships,  for  he  was  a  good  friend  of  sailors. 

"  We  went  to  the  shipping-office  next  da,y  and 
found  the  articles  just  opened,  and  Bill  and  I  were 
the  first  ones  that  signed.  In  a  week  we  went  on 
board,  and  just  as  we  hauled  out  from  the  wharf 
the  mate  came  over  the  rail  with  his  duds. 

'  Halloa ! '  said  one  of  the  men ;  '  I'll  be  blowed 
if  we  haven't  Johnny  Clarkson  for  mate,  and  he's 
the  biggest  rascal  that  ever  walked  a  ship's  deck.' 


A  WELD  SHIP,  295 

"  It  seemed  that  the  reason  why  tne  mate  didn't 
join  the  ship  any  sooner,  was,  because  he  was  such 
a  notorious  scoundrel  that  it  would  be  very  hard 
to  ship  a  crew  if  it  was  known  that  he  was  to  go 
in  her ;  so  the  captain  or  owners  kept  him  out  of 
sight,  until  the  last  moment,  when  all  the  crew  were 
on  board,  and  the  steam-tug  alongside,  and  then 
he  made  his  appearance. 

"  The  ship  came  to  anchor  in  the  stream  as  the 
wind  was  ahead,  and  when  we  got  below  that  night 
into  the  forecastle,  there  were  great  yarns  a-going 
about  the  mate.  The  Dutchmen  got  scared  half  out 
of  their  wits,  and  made  up  their  minds  to  be  mur- 
dered before  they  were  a  month  older. 

"  There  was  a  man  named  Jackson  on  board,  who 
was  boatswain  of  the  'Flying  Cloud,'  in  Hong 
Kong,  when  Clarkson  was  there,  mate  of  the '  Black 
Squall.' 

"  He  was  the  chap  that  first  spotted  him  when  he 
came  on  board,  and  he  told  hard  stories  about  hia 
carryings  on  and  the  number  of  sailors  he  had  mur- 
dered. 

"  The  old  man  stayed  ashore,  and  that  night  the 
mate  and  passenger  got  to  drinking  in  the  cabin, 
and  about  ten  o'clock  the  mate  came  forward, '  three 
sheets  in  the  wind,  and  the  fourth  shaking.'  He 
couldn't  find  any  one  on  the  watch,  and  while  he 
was  prying  about  forward,  he  tumbled  over  the 
chain-cable,  and  hurt  himself  some,  I  guess,  by  the 
noise  he  made.    Then  he  called  all  hands,  and  got 


296         .  ON  BOARD  THE  HOCKET. 

the  whole  thirty  of  us  out  on  deck.  He  gave  us  a 
lecture  in  rather  a  different  style  from  the  owner's 
speeches.  He  called  us  all '  the  sons  of  sea-cooks/ 
that  he  could  twist  round  his  tongue,  and  cursed 
us  in  a  way  that  made  our  blood  run  cold  ;  about 
all  we  could  make  out  was,  that  he  was  Johnny 
Clarkson,  and  was  going  to  jump  down  our  throats, 
drive  us  around,  play  the  mischief,  and  kill  Injuns 
generally.  At  last,  he  set  the  watch  and  sent  us 
below  saying,  '  Remember,    I'm  Johnny  Clarkson.' 

"  We  thought  we'd  got  enough  of  an  introduction, 
and  if  we  could  have  helped  ourselves  we  wouldn't 
have  continued  the  acquaintance ;  but  there  was 
no  backing  out  then. 

"  The  next  morning  the  captain  and  his  wife  came 
off  in  a  steam-tug,  and  we  got  underway  and 
tov/ed  out  past  the  light. 

"  The  '  old  man  '  was  a  Dane,  or  some  kind  of  a 
Dutchman,  named  Johnson;  that's  all  I  know 
about  him  or  his  wife,  except  that  the  passenger 
told  me  in  '  Frisco,'  that  he  wrote  home  to  his 
friends,  that  the  captain  was  a  demon  and  his  wife 
was  a  she  de\dl. 

"  While  we  were  making  sail  on  the  ship,  the 
mate  travelled  about  the  decks,  raving  like  a 
madman.  He  thought  one  man  didn't  haul  hard 
enough  on  the  main-topsail  halyards,  so  he  cursed 
him  and  called  him  a  bad  name.  The  man  gave 
him  a  '  black  look '  in  return,  and  Clarkson  knocked 
him  down  senseless,  with  a  big  gash  cut  in  his  head, 


.-t-feJjtta-j  %^3k^iS^S\ 


A  WILD  SEUP.  297 

with  an  iron  belaying-pin.  When  the  yard  was 
mastheaded  he  sung  out,  'haul  that  thingout  of  the 
way  and  belay.' 

"  All  hands  were  kept  up  in  the  afternoon  and,  if 
there  was  any  excuse  to  be  found  for  doing  it,  the 
watch  below  would  often  be  called  out  in  the  fore- 
noon. Every  order  was  accompanied  by  an  oath, 
and  belaying-pins,  and  leading-blocks  were  hurled 
about  the  deck  at  any  one  that  didn't  move  on  the 
'  clean  jump.'  Things  went  on  this  way  for  about 
a  fortnight,  without  anything  very  particular  hap- 
pening, except  that  somebody  got  licked  nearly 
every  watch,  and  then  we  had  a  little  the  biggest 
row  that  ever  I  saw  aboard  of  a  ship. 

"  We  were  running  down  the  north-east  trades 
with  all  our  port  stu'n'sails  set,  and  at  eleven  o'clock 
one  night  in  the  second  mate's  watch,  a  very  heavy 
squall  struck  her.  The  mate  jumped  out  on  deck 
and  called  all  hands,  without  saying  anything  to 
the  'old  man.'  We  didn't  get  out  of  the  fore- 
castle quick  enough  for  him,  and  he  and  the  third 
mate  stood  by  the  door  on  one  side,  and  the  second 
mate  and  boatswain  on  the  other  side  of  the  deck, 
and  every  man  as  he  came  out  got  struck. 

"  Jackson  said  to  me,  '  Hold  on,  Bangs,  don't  you 
go  out  till  I  do.' 

"  Just  then  the  mate  looked  in  and  said,  '  Bangs 
you  hurry,  get  out  on  deck ! ' 

'  He's  coming  out  when  I  do,'  said  Jackson. 

'  Jackson,'  said  the  mate,  '  when  you're  ready 


298  ON  BOAED  THE  ROCKET. 

come  out  on  deck,  and  he  went  away.  He  never 
tried  to  impose  on  Jackson,  and  I  thought  I'd  keep 
close  to  him  to  secure  my  own  safety.  .  As  the 
third  mate  struck  one  of  the  sailors,  the  man  drew 
his  sheath-knife  and  cut  him  slightly.  Then  there 
was  a  race.  The  man  ran  aft  and  the  third  mate 
after  him.  Away  they  went  around  the  poop  and 
forward  again,  until  the  third  mate  tumbled  over  a 
man  that  the  second  mate  had  knocked  down,  and 
so  lost  the  chase. 

"  When  Jackson  and  I  got  out  there  was  a  general 
fight  going  on ;  some  of  the  watch  on  deck  had 
pitched  in,  and  belaying-pins  and  handspikes  were 
flying  round  at  a  lively  rate.  The  '  old  man  '  got 
on  deck  in  the  midst  of  all  this,  and  I  guess  he 
thought  the  Old  Nick  was  let  loose,  or  else  his 
officers  had  gone  crazy.  The  man  at  the  wheel 
had  run  her  off  before  the  wind  to  save  the  sails, 
but  there  hadn't  been  the  first  thing  done  about 
taking  in  anything. 

'  Haul  down  that  main-topmast  studding-sail,' 
shouted  the  captain ;  for  the  tack  had  parted  and 
the  sail  was  blowing  all  to  pieces. 

'*  The  fighting  stopped  now,  I  hardly  know  how. 
But  several  of  the  sailors  were  'ended  over'  on 
deck  with  broken  heads,  and  some  of  us  were  at 
the  main-hatch  keeping  clear  of  the  '  muss.'  I  be- 
lieve the  rest  gave  it  up  and  ran  forward  of  the 
foremast. 

"  The  '  old  man '  kept  singing  out  his  orders,  and 


A  WILD  SHIP.  299 

at  last  the  mate  went  aft  and  liad  some  words  with 
him,  while  we  went  to  work  aod  saved  the  pieces. 
The  man  at  the  wheel  said  the  mate  cursed  the 
'old  man' all  up  in  a  lieap,  and  told  him  toga 
below  and  he'd  look  out  for  the  ship,  and  after  a 
little  jaw,  the  captain  backed  down  and  went  into 
the  cabin.  We  blew  away  a  lot  of  sails  that  night ; 
one  topmast  and  two  topgallant  stu'n'sails,  a  flying- 
jib,  main-topmast  staysail,  fore  royal,  and  broke  off 
the  fore-topmast  stu'n'sail-boom,  which  tore  an 
awful  big  hole  in  the  foresail.  I  guess  if  the 
owner  knew  how  much  that  fight  cost  him  he 
would  be  still  more  of  a  sailors'  friend.  I  never 
could  quite  account  for  the  officers  not  taking  in 
sail  sooner,  unless  it  was  they  had  been  drinking. 

"  Besides  having  all  hands,  we  used  to  be  kept 
going  all  night  long  in  the  watch  en  deck,  and 
after  we  got  round  the  Cape  into  the  south-east  trades 
we  had  to  work  every  minute,  either  doing  neces- 
sary dut}^  or  else  performing  military  drill  with 
handspikes,  or  something  of  that  sort.  Night 
times  our  principal  work  was  polishing  the  iron 
belaying-pins  and  eye-bolts,  for  when  we  went  into 
'  Frisco '  every  piece  of  iron-work  about  deck 
shone  like  silver.  We  all  had  our  stations  rub- 
bing the  iron  with  our  sheath-knives,  and  every 
half  hour,  when  the  bell  struck,  we  had  to  call  out 
like  sentinels.  This  is  the  way  it  would  go : 
First,  the  man  on  the  forward  house,  who  was 
polishing  the  cook's  stove-pipe,  would  sing  out : 


300  ON  BOAKD  THE  ROCKET. 

'  Cook's  stove-pipe,  one  bell  and  all's  well ! '  Then 
would  come,  '  Starboard  main-topmast  staysail 
sheet  iron  belaying-pin,  one  bell  and  all's  well ; ' 
'  starl)oard  eye-bolts  main-rigging  ; '  '  strap  of  main- 
topsail  halyard  block  ;'  and  so  on.  When  all  the 
workmen  had  sung  out,  you'd  hear,  'Starboard 
handspike  gangway  sentinel,  one  bell  and  all's 
well ; '  and  then  the  port  side  the  same.  These 
were  two  men .  that  had  to  walk  with  shouldered 
handspikes  on  the  bridges  that  went  from  the  top 
of  the  after-house  to  the  boat's  gallows.  At  the 
last  the  mate  would  hail  the  skysail-yard,  and  a 
voice  would  come  down,  '  Man  in  the  moon,  one 
beil  and  all's  well.'  This  would  be  some  unlucky 
chap  who  was  lowest  down  in  the  mate's  good 
graces,  but  got  kept  highest  up  in  the  air. 

"  That  was  the  way  every  half  hour  at  night 
when  we  were  not  pulling  and  hauling.  You 
wouldn't  think  men  would  stand  such  nonsense  ? 
I  assure  you  they  did  though,  and  they  didn't  dare 
to  growl  even  in  the  forecastle,  for  there  was  some 
one  prowling  about  outside,  pretty  often,  listening 
to  what  was  said ;  and  if  a  man  growled  he  was 
very  apt  to  get  licked  next  watch.  The  second 
mate  gave  one  man  an  awful  thrashing,  for  no 
other  reason  I  believe  than  because  he  overheard 
him  saying  in  his  watch  below,  '  This  is  a  humbug- 
ging old  workhouse.' 

"  There  were  lots  of  other  moves  they  put  up 
with*    There  were  five  or  six  men  in  our  watch 


A  WILD  SHIP.  801 

that  didn't  know  much,  and  the  mate  took  a  par- 
ticular fancy  to  hazing  them.  One  morning  he 
came  forward  with  some  canvas  for  fools'  caps,  and 
made  these  men  sew  them  in  tlieir  watch  be- 
low. Then  he  took  some  empty  flour  barrels, 
knocked  the  heads  out,  and  cut  holes  each  side  of 
the  top.  We  all  wondered  what  was  to  pay  now, 
and  at  night  we  found  out.  He  called  these  men 
aft,  made  them  put  on  the  fools'  caps  and  dismount 
one  of  the  guns  that  stood  by  the  after-liatch. 
Then  each  ihun  got  into  a  barrel  and  ran  his  arms 
through  the  holes,  so  that  he  had  a  kind  of  wooden 
shirt  on.  The  mate  made  a  rope  fast  to  the  gun- 
carriage,  and  taking  his  seat,  he  made  the  men 
grab  the  rope  and  haul  him  fore  and  aft  the  deck. 
He  sat  on  the  carriage,  holding  a  long  stick  with  a 
sail-needle  in  the  end,  with  which  he  pricked  up 
all  the  men  he  could  reach,  wherever  the  barrels 
didn't  protect  them,  and  he  cursed  the  rest  in  a 
way  that  hurt  most  as  bad." 

"  Mr.  Bangs,  didn't  the  captain  have  anything 
to  say  to  all  this?  "  I  asked. 

"  Not  that  I  know  of.  I  believe  it  just  suited 
him.  He  didn't  do  any  fighting  himself,  but  he'd 
get  on  top  of   the  house  and  everlastingly  curse 


us." 


"  Did  you  ever  get  struck  ?  "  I  asked. 

"No  sir." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  said  I.   "  I  never  heard  a  man 


802         ON  BOAKL.  THE  ROCKET. 

tell  a  yarn  yet  about  a  wild  ship,  but  he  always 
went  clear  himself." 

"  But  it's  a  fact,"  said  the  second  mate,  "  Bill 
Holmes  and  I  were  about  the  only  ones  in  the  crew, 
except  Jackson,  that  didn't  get  a  rap  on  the  head 
before  the  sJiip  got  to  '  Frisco.'  I  expect  we  got 
spared  because  we  were  Yankee  boys,  but  I  came 
pretty  near  catching  it  once  or  twice. 

"  Some  of  the  men  were  shamefully  beaten  for 
no  cause  whatever,  except  that  they  were  good- 
natured  Dutchmen.  The  mate  used  to  fight  with 
a  belaying-pin,  or  else  use  his  fists,  but  the  second 
and  third  mates  always  carried  brass  knuckles  in 
their  pockets,  and  when  they  cut  a  man's  face  open 
it  sometimes  made  an  ugly  sore.  But  the  fighting 
didn't  worry  me  as  much  as  the  blackguardism, 
for  sometimes  we'd  go  along  a  few  days  without  a 
blow  being  struck-  There  was  no  let  up,  though, 
to  bad  words.  Every  order  was  followed  up  with 
oaths  and  vile  language.  All  the  officers  from 
mate  to  boatswain  were  tarred  with  the  same 
brush,  and  when  all  hands  were  on  deck  shorten- 
ing sail,  or  tacking  ship,  I  don't  believe  hell  could 
have  furnished  worse  talk.  I  often  wondered 
what  Mr.  Jones  would  have  thought  if  he  could 
have  dropped  down  aboard,  and  Bill  Holmes  used 
to  say  that  he  thought  Mr.  Jones  would  have  done 
service  to  the  cause  of  humanity  if  he'd  taken  a 
little  pains  to  pick  out  a  decent  captain  and  mate 


A  WILD  SHIP.  303 

to  oversee    his    sailors  in    the    '  Bloodhound/   in 
addition  to  his  speech-making. 

"  We  had  a  quick  passage  of  one  hundred  and 
five  days,  but  we  didn't  get  to  Frisco  any  too 
soon  to  suit  us,  and  we  all  cleared  out  bag  and 
baggage  as  soon  as  the  ship  got  to  the  wharf. 

''The  ship  anchored  in  the  stream  first;  the 
mate  got  a  boatman  to  take  him  across  the  Bay, 
and  he  hid  up  country  somewhere  for  awhile,  to 
keep  clear  of  the  police.  Tlien  he  got  aboard  of 
a  ship,  just  as  she  was  going  out  of  the  harbor, 
and  went  second  mate  of  her  over  to  China. 

"  When  we  hauled  into  the  wharf  on  a  Sunday 
afternoon,  there  were  about  a  thousand  people 
down  to  see  '  the  blood  boat '  as  they  called  her, 
for  the  boarding-house  runners  had  reported  her 
character.  The  men  got  out  warrants  against  the 
officers,  but  none  of  them  were  arrested,  for  they 
kept  out  of  sight  for  awhile  and  the  sailors  all  had 
a  good  drunk,  and  what  didn't  go  up  to  the  mines 
were  all  shipped  off  again  in  less  than  ten  days, 
and  tlie  affair  blew  over. 

"  The  next  I  heard  of  Clarkson  he  was  mate  of 
the  ship  "  Fantail "  with  Capt.  Harry  Saunders, 
and  went  from  Boston  to  Frisco  in  her.  One  day 
he  punished  the  '  galoots '  by  making  them  jump 
overboard  in  a  calm,  and  straddle  a  long  plank 
made  fast  at  one  end  by  a  rope  from  the  ship. 
He  had  made  them  some  paddles  and  they  had  to 
work  them  as  though  they  were  towing  the  ship 


304  ON    BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

ahead.  Another  time  he  lashed  six  of  them,  liead 
and  heels  together,  laid  them  along  the  deck  in  a 
line,  lashed  the  heels  of  the  last  one  to  a  ringbolt 
and  putting  a  rope  around  the  shoulders  of  the 
first  one  he  took  it  to  the  capstan  and  made  some 
of  the  sailors  heave  taut  till  the  poor  fellows  on 
tlie  stretch  cried  out  blue  murder. 

''  Clarkson  could  always  get  more  wages  from  the 
religious  shipowners  of  Boston  than  any  mate  sail- 
ing out  of  the  port ;  he  was  considered  such  a 
smart  officer. 

"  The}^  complain  that  there  are  no  American  sea- 
men to  man  our  ships,  and  if  the  truth  were  known 
it  would  be  found  that  the  decent  lads  are  driven 
out  of  the  service,  in  disgust,  by  the  brutality  of 
the  ofiBcers,  or  if  they  get  through  the  forecastle 
they  find  it  useless  to  become  officers  unless  they 
are  qualified  to  be  prize-fighters.  The  boys  on 
Cape  Cod  are  going  into  stores  in  the  cities,  or  on 
to  farms  out  West,  instead  of  going  to  sea  as  they 
used  to  do. 

''  I've  often  wished  I  could  have  a  word  with 
Mr.  Jones  about  that  voyage.  I  don't  profess  to 
love  sailors  much  and  I  think  sometimes  that  the 
better  you  treat  them  the  worse  they  are.  But  if 
a  man  really  wants  to  do  them  good,  I  should  think 
he  would  do  it  at  sea  as  well  as  on  shore." 

"  Rather,"  I  said,  "  he  should  do  more  at  sea 
than  on  shore.  A  sailor  spends  three-fourths  of 
his  life  on  board  ship  and,  if  one  wishes  to  subject 


BOAKDIKG   A   VESSEL.  805 

him  to  good  influences,  it  would  seem  reasonable 
to  bring'  them  to  bear  upon  him  where  he  i)asses 
most  of  his  time.  But  Mr.  Jones'  style  seemed  to 
be  to  build  bethels  and  homes  for  him  to  benefit 
by  in  the  two  weeks  he  is  on  shore,  and  then  leave 
him  for  months  in  entire  neglect  to  hear  only 
curses  and  blackguardism,  and  suffer  tyrann3^ 

"  Besides,  a  sailor  is  more  open  to  good  impres- 
sions at  sea  than  he  is  asliore.  There,  his  mind  is 
full  of  novelties  and  pleasures  and  has  little  room 
for  good  counsels,  but  on  board  ship  in  a  long 
dreary  voyage,  he  reflects  upon  his  past  life,  sees 
his  follies  and  is  disposed  to  make  resolutions  of 
reform." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  that  yarn  seems  to  have  raised 
the  wind ;  there  appears  to  be  a  light  air  on  the 
port-quarter.     You  may  square  in  the  yards." 

The  second  mate  assured  me  so  positively  that 
his  story  was  true,  that  I  wrote  it  out  while  fresh 
in  my  memory,  word  for  word  as  he  told  it. 

The  last  day  of  the  "  doldrums  "  brought  about 
an  event  which  had  a  great  effect  in  reviving  our 
spirits.  In  the  morning  we  made  a  ship  ahead, 
bound  the  same  way,  and  at  noon  we  caught  up 
with  her  and  spoke  her.  It  was  the  *'  Renown," 
from  Calcutta  bound  to  New  York,  ninety  days 
out.  After  dinner  we  spied  a  sail  on  our  starboard 
bow  bound  to  the  southward.  She  slowly  drew 
down  towards  us  and  at  two  o'clock  we  saw  a  boat 
put  off  from  the  "  Renowr  "  to  board  her.     It  was 


306  ON   BOARD   THE   ROCKET. 

now  nearly  calm  and  I  thought  I  would  imitiite 
the  example.  So  our  quarter-boat  was  lowered, 
and  the  mate  and  four  men  pulled  away  towards 
the  stranger.  They  reached  her  in  about  an  hour 
and  at  four  o'clock  were  agam  on  board,  with  a 
large  roll  of  Boston  newspapers,  and  what  was 
still  better  in  the  sailors  estimation,  a  few  pounds 
of  tobacco.  The  mate  reported  her  to  be  the 
bark  ''  Nonantum,"  from  Boston,  bound  to  Buenos 
Ayres,  twenty-six  days  out.  He  said  the  cap- 
tain was  in  a  dreadful  stew  about  falling  to  lee- 
ward of  Cape  St.  Roque.  He  had  only  had  E.  S. 
E.  winds  in  place  of  north-east  trades  and  had 
been  unable  to  gain  any  longitude.  Now  he  ex- 
pected nothing  less  than  a  fortnight's  dead  beat. 
This  had  not  put  him  in  very  good  humor,  and  our 
men  were  told  by  his  sailors  that  one  of  the  crew 
had  just  upset  a  tar-bucket  on  deck,  and  the  "  old 
man  ''  had  been  making  the  mate  clean  it  up  him- 
self. The  mate  said  the  captain  had  his  wife 
aboard  and  that  she  was  cross-eyed  and  "  as  homely 
as  a  hedge-fence,"  but  for  all  that  he  enjoyed  mak- 
ing his  best  bow  to  her,  and  asking  her  how  she 
liked  going  to  sea,  which  he  said  was  the  only 
polite  speech  he  could  think  of. 

"What  a  little  world  a  ship  is,"  I  thought. 
"  There  they  are  in  that  bark  shut  up  by  them- 
selves and  engrossed  with  their  own  concerns  as 
though  there  were  nothing  and  nobody  else  in  ex- 
istence.    They  have  their  trials  and  growls  and 


READY   FOR   PORT.  807 

disagreements,  just  as  we  do  and  as  the  "  Renown'* 
does,  but  each  of  us  as  isoUited  as  is  one  star  from 
another.  Well,  poor  fellow,  I  hope  he'll  fetch  by 
St.  Roquel" 

There  were  fifteen  newspapers  in  the  bundle, 
and  for  the  next  week  we  all  took  something  of  a 
vacation  from  our  little  world  and  enjoyed  a  view 
of  the  larger  one.  A  multitude  of  topics  were 
discussed  both  aft  and  forward,  and  had  a  good 
effect  in  stimulating  our  minds,  and  diverting  our 
thoughts  from  their  well-worn  channels,  in  which 
they  were  moving  with  but  a  sluggish  drift. 

The  same  evening  that  we  boarded  the  bark,  the 
north-east  trades  came  in  a  squall,  and  started  us 
again  on  our  homeward  course.  They  brought 
with  them  also  a  more  bracing  air,  which  had  a 
great  effect  in  restoring  the  elasticity  of  our  spirits. 
On  we  sped,  averaging  two  hundred  miles  a  day 
until  we  reached  lat.  26°  N.  in  Ion.  65°  W.,  where 
the  trades  left  us  and  the  variable  winds  of  the 
"  horse  latitudes  "  set  in. 

The  bark  was  now  in  fine  order.  She  had  been 
tarred  down,  painted  inside  and  out,  and  her 
masts  and  j'ards  were  all  scraped  bright  and  had 
received  good  coats  of  oil  and  varnish.  The  yards 
we  had  scraped  in  Padang  when  the  sails  were  un- 
bent, but  the  masts  were  done  on  the  passage.  We 
all  declared  she  looked  as  fine  as  a  new  fiddle. 
But  there  was  still  plenty  of  work  to  be  done  in  the 
way  of  small  jobs,  and  in  keening  in  order  what 


308  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

was  finished,  though  the  main  work  being  com- 
pleted we  all  felt  easier  in  mind  and  more  pleased 
to  see  her  move  rapidly  towards  port.  The  sailors 
were  very  lively  and  every  occasion  was  seized  for 
a  song  at  their  work. 


CHAPTER  Xn. 


SAILOBS'  SONQS. 


"  Odd's  life  I  must  one  swear  to  the  truth  of  a  song  .** 

— Matthew  Pryor* 

THE  songs  of  the  sea  offer  a  field  for  research, 
and  one  who  could  trace  the  origin  and  use 
of  some  of  them  would  doubtless  discover  inter- 
esting, romantic  histories.  No  information  can  be 
obtained  from  sailors  themselves  on  this  point. 
No  one  knows  who  their  favorite  "  Reuben  Ranzo  " 
was,  or  whether  "  Johnny  Boker  "  ever  did  what 
be  is  so  often  requested  to  "  do,"  nor  can  any  one 
say  more  concerning  the  virtues  and  vices  of 
"  Sally  Brown  "  than  is  declared  in  song. 

Sailors'  songs  may  be  divided  into  two  classes. 
Firsts  are  the  sentimental  songs  sung  in  the  fore* 

309 


810  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

*castle,  or  on  the  deck  in  the  leisure  hours  of  the 
dog-watch,  when  the  crew  assemble  around  the 
fore-hatch  to  indulge  in  yarns  and  music.  Dibdin's 
Bongs,  which  the  orthodox  sailor  of  the  last  half 
century  was  supposed  to  adhere  to  as  closely  as 
the  Scotch  Presbyterian  to  his  Psalter,  are  falling 
into  disuse,  and  the  negro  melodies  and  the  popu- 
lar shore  songs  of  the  day  are  now  most  frequently 
heard.  The  second  class  of  songs  is  used  at  work, 
and  they  form  so  interesting  a  feature  of  life  at 
sea,  that  a  sketch  of  that  life  would  be  incomplete 
without  some  allusion  to  them.  These  working 
Bongs  may  be  divided  into  three  sets  : 

First,  those  used  where  a  few  strong  pulls  are 
needed,  as  in  boarding  a  tack,  hauling  aft  a  sheet, 
or  tautening  a  weather-brace.  "Haul  the  Bow- 
line," is  a  favorite  for  this  purpose.  The  shanty- 
man,  as  the  solo  singer  is    called,  standing  up 

"beforehand,"  as  high  above  the  rest  of  the  crew 
as  he  can  reach,  sings  with  as  many  quirks,  varia- 
tions and  quavers  as  his  ingenuity  and  ability  can 
attempt,  "  Haul  the  bow-line,  Kitty  is  my  darling;" 
'  then  all  hands  join  in  the  chorus,  "  Haul  the  bow- 
line, the  bowline  AawZ,"  shouting  the  last  word 
with  great  energy  and  suiting  action  to  it  by  a 
combined  pull,  which  must  once  be  witnessed  by 
one  who  desires  an  exemplification  of  "a  long 
pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  altogether."  This 
seldom  fails  to  make  the  ropes  "  come  home  J 


ft 


bailors'  songs. 


811 


HAUL  THE  BOW-LINE. 


^^^ 


ft— N- 


m^ 


Haul  the  bow-line,  Kit  -  ty  is    my  dar-Iinp; ; 

Chorus, 


II 


-0 


-G 


-e-^ 


Haul     the    bow -line    the   bow -line  haul. 


Then  the  song  is  repeated  with  a  slight  change 
in  words,  "  Haul  the  bow-line,  the  clipper  ship's  a 
rolling,"  &c.,  and  next  time  perhaps,  ,"  Haul  the 
bow-line,  our  bully  mate  is  growHng." 

Great  latitude  is  allowed  in  the  words  and  the 

shantyman  exercises  his  own  discretion.     If  he  be 

a  man  of   little  comprehension  or  versatility,  he 

will  say  the  same  words  over  and  over,  but  if  be 

possesses  some  wit,  he  will  insert  a  phrase  alluding. 

to  some  peculiarity  of   the  ship,  or  event  of  the 

time,  which  will  cause  mouths  to  open  wider  and 

eyes  tc   roll  gleefully,  while  a  lively  pull  follows 

that  ro-ises  the  sheet  home  and  elicits  the  mate's 

order   "  Belay  I  "     A  good  shantyman  is  highly 

prized,  both  by  officers  and  crew.     His  leadership 

saves  many  a  diy  pull,  and  his  vocal  effort  is  be- 
lieved to  secure  so  much  physical  force,  that  he  is 

sometimes  allowed  to  spare  his  own  exertions  and 

reserve  all  his  energies  for  the  inspiriting  shantv. 


812 


ON  BOABD  THE  BOCKBT, 


Another  common  song  is :  — 


HAUL  AWAY,  JOE. 


'k 


SI 


-N— N- 


± 


2 


V-N-N-HS 


Way,  haul  a- way ;  0,  haul  away,  my  Ro  -  sey. 

.Chorus*  /^TS 


Way,  haul  a  -  way  j  0,  haul  a  -  way,  Joe. 
And  another : — 


JOHNISTY  BOKEE. 


■ff—^— 


^7t  -J- 


■0 — 0 — 0- 


^ 


■0  4    0- 


Oh  do,my  Johnny  Boker,Com0  rock  and  roll  me 

Chorus. 


Q  -  ver,    Do,  my  Johnny     Bo  -  ker,   do. 


In  both  of  these,  the  emphasis  and  the  pull  come 
at  the  last  word  of  the  chorus :  "  Joe  "  and  "  do," 
as  they  end  the  strain,  put  a  severe  strain  on  the 
rope. 

In  the   secotiJ    set  of  working   songs,  I   woiiU 


sailors'  songs. 


813 


place  those  that  are  used  in  long  hoists,  or  where 
so  large  a  number  of  pulls  is  required  that  more 
frequent  exertion  must  be  used,  than  is  called  for 
by  the  first  set,  lest  too  much  time  be  occupied. 
The  topsail  halyards  call  most  frequently  for  these 
songs.  One  of  the  most  universal,  and  to  my  ear 
the  most  musical  of  the  songs,  is  "  Reuben  Ranzo." 
A  good  shantyman,  who  with  fitting  pathos  re- 
counts the  sorrows  of  "  poor  Reuben  "  never  fails 
to  send  the  topsail  to  the  masthead  at  quick  notice, 
nor  to  create  a  passing  interest  in  the  listener  to 
the  touching  melody  :  — 

EEUBEN  EANZO. 


-N-\- 


H (- 


Chorus, 


PSiS. 


H 1- 


7-*-^ 


r-^::3i 


S-« — iS>- 


&■ 


i 


Oh,poor  Keuben  Ranzo,  Eanzo,  hojSfEanjso  / 


/CN 


Oh,  poor  Reuben  Ran-zo,  BanzOj  boys,  Banzoi 


Oh,  Reuben  was  no  sailor, 

Chorus,  and  repeat  with  chorus. 
He  shipped  on  board  of  a  whaler, 

Chorus,  &o. 
He  could  not  do  his  duty, 

Chorus,  &0. 
The  captain  was  a  bad  man, 

Chorus,  &o» 
He  put  him  in  the  rigging, 

Chorus,  &o. 
He  gave  him  six  and  thirty. 

Chorus,  &o» 
Oh,  poor  Reuben  Ranzo. 


814 


ON  BOAED  THE  KOCKET. 


In  this  song  the  pulls  are  given  at  the  first  word 
"  Ranzo "  in  the  chorus,  sometimes  at  its  next 
occurrence  in  addition. 

Of  all  the  heroines  of  deck  song  Sally  Brown's 
name  is  most  frequently  uttered,  and  a  lively  pull 
always  attends  it.  She  figures  in  several  of  these 
songs;  one  has  as  its  chorus  "Shantyman  and 
Sally  Brown."  But  it  is  used  more  frequently,  I 
think,  in  connection  with  the  song :  — 

BLOW,  MY  BULLY  BOYS,  BLOW. 


■^ 


Oh,    Sal  -  ly  Brown's  a  bright  mu-lat  -  to  \ 

Chorus. 


m 


X 


1^-^ 


^ 


-e^ 


-^' 


Blow^   boys,    hloiv!  Oh,    she    drinks  rum 

Chorus,  /Tn 


-^- 


and chews  to-bac-co,  Blow,  my  bully  boys,  blow! 

Ob,  Sally  Brown's  a  Creole  lady, 

Chorus,  and  repeat  with  chorus. 
Oh,  Sally  Brown,  I  long  to  see  you, 

Chorus,  &c. 
Oh,  Sally  Brown,  Fll  ne'er  deceive  yoiu 

Chorus,  &c. 


It  will  be  noticed  that  neither  rhyme  nor  senti 


SAn^OES*  SONGS. 


816 


ment  has  much  place  in  these  songs.  Each  line  is 
usually  repeated  twice,  even  if  there  be  a  rhyme 
impending,  for  the  shantyman's  stock  must  be  care- 
fully husbanded. 

A  favorite  and  frequently  used  song,  in  which 
IJonaparte's  fortunes  are  portrayed  in  a  manner 
startling  to  the  historian,  as  well  as  to  those  who 
may  have  the  fortune  to  hear  it  sung  at  any  time, 
is:  — 


JOHN  FEANCOIS.^ 


N- 


-0- 


Oh,  Bo-ney  was  a  war-rior,  A- way,  h^y^Viyl 


i 


i: 


e- 


Oh,  Bo  -  ney  was  a   war  -  rior,  John  Francois. 

Oh,  Boney  went  to  Eoo-shy, 

Chorus. 
Oh,  Boney  went  to  Proo-shy, 

Chorus. 
He  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains, 

Chorus. 
He  made  a  mistake  at  Waterloo» 

Chorus. 
He  died  at  Saint  Helena. 

Chorus, 

*  Pronounced  Frans-war. 


316 


ON  BOABD  THE  BOCKET. 


Where  Tommy  actually  proceeded  to  when  he 
went  "  a  high  low  "  nobody  knows,  but  the  fact  is 
related  with  continual  gusto  nevertheless :  — 


TOMMY'S  GONE,  A  HIGH  LOW. 


My  Tom -my's  gone 

Chorus. 

— N — I N' — N'T — N" 


and   I'll   go,    too  5 

-iV— N— N-— I- 


i 


g— # 


■a- 


M: 


^ 


^ — ig 


Hur-rah,  you  high    low. 

Chorus. 


For  with-out  Tom- 


-     my  I  can't  do.  My  Tommy^s  gone  a  high  low. 

My  Tommy's  gone  on  the  Eastern  Shore, 

Chorus. 
My  Tommy's  gone  to  Baltimore, 

Chorus. 

A  person  who  knows  a  little  of  geography  can 
send  Tommy  around  the  world  according  to  his 
own  discretion. 

One  of  the  best  illustrations  of  the  absolute 
nothingness  that  characterizes  the  words  of  these 
songs,  is  given  by  the  utterances  attending  the 
melody  called  "  Shanadore,"  which  probably  means 
Shenandoah,  a  river  in  Virginia. ,  I  often  have 
heard  such  confusing  statements  as  the  foUow- 
uig:  — 


8AIL0BS    BONOS. 


817 


SHANADOKE. 


■N N- 


-*? — 


Sha  -  na  -  dore's  a 

Chorus, 


roll  -  ing   riv  -  er, 

N— N— N— ^• 


Hiir-rahj  you  roll  -  ing  riv  -  er.    Oh,Sha-aa-dore's 

Chorus. 


—\- 


~N- 


"*— i' 


a     roll  -  ing   riv  -  er,      Ah  hah,  Vm  bound 


]\ 


V~^ 


^ — wt—:^ 


a  -  way     o'er  the     wild   Mis  -  sou  -  ri. 

Shanadore's  a  packet  sailor, 

Chorus. 
Shauadore's  a  bright  mulatto, 

Chorus. 
Shanadore  I  long  to  hear  you, 

Chorus, 


and  so  the  song  goes  on,  according  to  the  ingenuity 
of  the  impromptu  composer. 

Sailors  are  not  total  abstainers  as  a  rule,  and 
one  would  suspect  that  a  song  like  "Whiskey 
Johnny  "  might  find  frequent  utterance :  — 


818 


ON  BOABD  THE  ROCKET. 


WHISKEY  JOHNNY. 


m 


X 


-c 


Whis-key  is 

Chorua, 


^ ^ 


the      life      of      man, 


3. 


p; 


■(^-T 


^•- 


Wliis .  key     John  -  ny.      We'll  drink  our  whis 

Choru». 


key  when  we  can,  Whis-key  for   my  John-ny, 

I  drink  whiskey,  and  my  wife  drinks  gin, 

Chorus, 
And  the  way  she  drinks  it  is  a  sin. 

Chorus. 
I  and  my  wife  cannot  agree, 

Chorus. 
For  she  drinks  whiskey  in  her  tea. 

Chorus. 
I  had  a  girl,  her  name  was  Lize, 

Chorus. 
And  she  put  whiskey  in  her  pies. 

Chorus. 
Whiskey's  gone  and  Til  go  too, 

Chorus. 
For  without  whiskey  I  can't  do.     . 

Chorus. 


SAILORS*  SONGS. 


819 


Another  popular  song  is  :— 

KNOCK  A  MAN  DOWN. 


n 

/C\ 

Chorut. 

V     •!      h.            -      ' 

Ik 

^ 

y     fS     ^ 

r 

iN 

"V 

■     » 

fe^3^ 

:i=f: 

ij-* 

M  •      ^* 

0 1 

w 

I  wish  I    was  in  Mo  -  bilo  Bay.  Way,  hey, 


N— -V-~N- 


ji=i=ji 


t=:^ 


^— ¥ 


knock  a  man  down.  A-roll-ing  cot-ton  night  and  day. 

Chorua* 


This  is   the  time    to  knock  a    man  down. 


The  word^  already  quoted  will  enable  a  person 
to  sing  this  and  nearly  all  the  songs  of  this  set. 
He  can  wish  he  was  in  every  known  port  in  the 
world,  to  whose  name  he  can  find  a  rhyme.  If 
New  Orleans  was  selected,  he  would  add,  "  Where 
Jackson  gave  the  British  beans."  At  "  Boston 
city,"  his  desire  would  be,  "a-walking  with  my 
lovely  Kitty."  At  "  New  York  town,"  he  would 
be,  "a-walking  Broadway  up  and  down,"  or  at 
Liverpool  he  would  finish  his  education,  "  a-going 
to  a  Yankee  school." 

The  third  set  of  working  songs  comprises  those 
used  at  the  pumps,  capstan  and  windlass,  where 


820 


ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 


continuous  force  is  applied,  instead  o^  the  pulls  at 
intervals,  as  when  hauling  on  ropes.  Many  of  the 
second  set  of  songs  are  used  on  such  occasions, 
but  there  are  a  few  peculiar  to  this  use  and  of  such 
are  the  following : 


mo  GRANDE. 


/^    Chortia, 


1^:^ 


■^-! 


*=i 


I'm  bound  a-way  this  ve-ry  day.  Oh,youRi-o! 
rm  bound  a-way  this  ve-ry  day,  I^m  bound  for  the 

/T\         Chorus, 

N 


-N— N- 


\— is 


Hi-- ".iT    -^ 


^^"   -^f 


Ri  -  0  Grande.  And  a  -  way  you  Ri  -  o !     Oh,  you 


-N— >■ 


N-n 


-tf- 


a^ 


-N— N- 


Ri  -  o,     I'm  bound   a  -  way     this     ve 


-N-\- 


^_^_^ 


N— N- 


#— ^ 


m 


ry    day,  I'm  bound  for  the  Ri  -  o    Grande. 


'eAILOBS'  SONGS. 


821 


PADDY,  COME  WOEK  ON  THE  KAILWAT 


I 


— \- 


H- 


0 Q 0 ^--    '  I # 

In    eigh  -  teen  hun-drcd     and    six  -  ty  three, 


-N- 


X 


v4 


•#    I     i 


\=M. 


? 


? 


9^ 


I  came  across  the  stormy  sea.  My  dung'ree  breech- 

Chorua* 


ft 


E 


I 


•    es    I    put  on    To  work  up-on  the  rail  -  way, 


-H 


« 


^ 


the  rail  -  way,  Toworkup-on  the  rail  -  way. 


iV — N 


g 


N— N 


^ 


Oh,  poor  Pad-dy,  come  work  on  the  rail-  way. 


Many  other  songs  might  be  named,  some  of 
which,  peculiar  to  the  Liverpool  packets,  are  of  a 
rowdy  nature. 

One  cannot  but  regret  that  a  more  rational  set 
of  words  has  not  been  introduced  to  this  service  of 
80ng.    A  sphere  offers  for  some  philanthropic  poet 


822  ON  BOAUD  THE  BOOKET. 

to  provide  a  more  elevating  style  of  composition. 
On  the  old  theorj'-,  the  ballad-maker  may  accom- 
plish more  reform  than  the  law-giver. 

In  addition  to  these  songs  are  the  unnaraeable 
and  unearthly  howls  and  yells  that  characterize  the 
true  sailor,  which  are  only  acquired  by  years  of  sea 
service.  There  is  the  continuous  running  solo  of 
"  way-hey  he,  ho,  ya,"  &c.,  &c  ,  accompanying  the 
hand-over-hand  hoisting  of  jibs  and  staysails. 
Then  for  short  "  swigs  "  at  the  halyards,  we  have 
such  utterances  as  "  hey  lee^  ho  lip^  or  ?yw,"  the 
emphasis  and  pull  coming  on  the  italicized  sylla- 
bles on  which  the  voice  is  raised  a  tone.  Then 
comes  the  more  measured  "  singing  out,"  for  the 
long  and  regular  pulls  at  the  "braces."  Each 
sailor  has  his  own  "  howl "  peculiar  to  himself,  but 
fortunately  only  one  performs  at  a  time  on  the 
same  rope.  The  effect,  however,  v/hen  all  hands 
are  on  deck  at  a  time,  and  a  dozen  ropes  are  pulled 
on  at  once,  is  most  suggestive  of  Babel.  One 
learns  to  recognize  the  sailors'  method  of  singing: 
when  lying  in  his  berth  in  the  cabin  he  can  tell 
what  man  is  leading  and  by  the  measure  of  his 
cadence  can  judge  what  class  of  ropes  is  being 
pulled.  He  thus  can  often  divine  the  changes  of 
wind  and  weather  without  going  on  deck.  The 
wakeful  captain  with  nerves  harrassed  by  contrary 
winds  will  recognize  the  hauling  in  of  the  weather 
braces  by  the  cry,  and  with  only  this  evidence  of  a 
fair  wind  will  drop  off   into  the  slumber  he  so 


BULLY  OR  COAX.  823 

greatly  needs.  At  other  times  he  will  be  impelled 
to  go  on  deck  by  the  evidence  that  the  outcries 
betoken  the  hauling  of  clew-lines  and  buntlines  at 
the  approach  of  a  threatening  squall.  By  atten- 
tion to  these  and  other  sounds,  and  the  motions  of 
the  vessel,  an  experienced  mariner  knows  the  con- 
dition of  affairs  above  deck  without  personal 
inspection. 

The  songs  of  the  sea,  as  I  have  said,  invite  at- 
tention and  research,  and  I  shall  be  glad  if  this 
brief  sketch  may  incite  another  to  more  thorough 
investigation. 

How  do  you  get  along  with  your  sailors?. is  a 
question  often  asked,  to  which  I  will  now  endeavor 
to  give  a  practical  answer.  The  first  captain  that 
I  went  to  sea  with  remarked  to  a  gentleman  in  my 
hearing :  "  If  it  were  not  for  sailors  it  would  be 
only  a  pleasure  to  go  to  sea."  Maiiy  a  time  have 
I  heard  this  echoed  sinca  and  perhaps  have  re- 
peated it  myself.  No  one  has  ever  suggested  how 
to  do  without  sailors,  so  the  most  rational  question 
is.  How  shall  we  manage  them?  The  only  ap- 
proach to  a  quarrel  on  this  passage  was  with  "  Lit- 
tle Hans,"  a  diminutive  Swede,  who  was  very 
great  in  temper  and  irritability.  He  was  ordered 
to  do  some  work,  but  pleaded  illness  in  excuse. 
Some  passionate  words  ensued,  as  the  mate  doubted 
his  sincerity,  but  in  the  end  Little  Hans  made  most 
ample  apologies  and  confessed  with  tears  what  a 
bad  temper  he  had. 


824  ON  BOAED  THE  EOCKET. 

There  must  be  these  frictions  on  shipboard. 
They  occur  in  every  vessel.  They  cannot  be  pre- 
vented entirely,  and  the  only  question  is  how  to 
deal  with  them.  Shall  authority  be  maintained  on 
the  instant  by  the  assertion  of  brute  force,  or  shall 
the  man  by  patient,  judicious,  but  firm  treatment 
be  in  time  subdued.  The  latter  is  the  course  I 
advocate.  It  involves  momentary  mortification 
and  great  self-control,  but  gives  more  abiding 
peace  and  great  self-satisfaction. 

Who  overcomes  by  force 
Hath  but  half  overcome  his  foe. 

An  officer  once  said  to  me,  "  There  are  only  two 
ways  to  treat  sailors ;  you  must  either  bully  them 
or  coax  them."  Accepting  this  definition  of  my 
theorizings  I  would  say  : 

"  By  all  means,  coax  them  1 " 

But  our  success  in  controlling  the  men  was  not 
due  alone  to  the  method  of  discipline  adopted.  In 
many  ways  they  were  made  to  feel  that  a  friendly 
spirit  existed  towards  them,  and  that  a  desire  to 
benefit  them  ran  through  all  the  rules  and  customs 
of  the  ship.  Some  of  the  methods  I  have  tried 
successfully  are  the  following :  Saturday  afternoons 
were  given  up  to  the  crew  as  a  time  for  mending 
clothes  and  cleaning  themselves,  and  on  Sunday 
morning  when  called  aft  to  attend  religious  ser- 
vices they  had  no  excuse  for  not  putting  in  a  neat 


CLASSES  AND   LECTURES.  825 

appearance.  The  effect  of  this  was  often  notice- 
able in  creating  more  cleanly  habits,  and  I  have  re- 
peatedly been  complimented  upon  the  unusually 
good  looks  of  my  sailors  when  on  shore  or  attend- 
ing services.  Wednesday  evenings  a  Bible  Class 
was  held,  at  which  the  men  were  encouraged  to 
read  aloud  the  passages  in  the  Bible  which  they 
were  directed  to  search  out,  illustrating  the  topic 
in  hand.  The  valuable  libraries  furnished  by  the 
Seamen's  Friend  Society,  with  other  reading  mat- 
ter, were  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  crew.  Fre- 
quently on  Saturday  evenings  lectures  were  given 
Mpon  matters  of  interest  to  the  sailor,  as.  The 
Winds,  The  Currents,  The  Stars,  The  Sea  Serpent, 
&c.  In  the  afternoons,  when  weather  permitted, 
the  young  men  of  the  crew  in  their  watch  below 
attended  a  navigation  class,  and  took  the  first  les- 
sons in  a  science  which  many  of  them  will  prac- 
tice when  commanding  vessels  in  time  to  come.  I 
never  found  that  such  familiarity  bred  contempt, 
for  all  this  intercourse  was  dignified.  On  the  con- 
trary it  rather  heightened  their  respect  for  the 
captain,  as  was  evidenced  by  the  remark  of  one 
after  a  lecture,  "  I  tell  you  when  a  man  sees  what 
a  head  our  old  man's  got,  it  makes  him  feel  what 
a  little  pimple  he's  got  on  his  own  shoulders." 

I  have  narrated  methods  of  control  which  I 
have  used  with  tolerable  success,  but  I  am  well 
aware  that  government  cannot  be  reduced  to  an 
exact  science.    With  the  help  of  the  best  systems 


826  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

• 

some  will  fail  to  control  those  under  them,  and 
others  from  the  simple  character  and  energy  of 
their  natures,  without  extraneous  aid,  will  com- 
mand the  respect  and  obedience  of  those  subject 
to  them. 

While  human  nature  is  what  it  is  there  will  ex- 
ist a  conflict  between  service  and  power.  As  the 
mind  and  heart  are  elevated  and  renewed  these 
conflicts  will  decrease,  but  it  is  only  to  a  higher 
and  purer  sphere,  where  sin  will  not  exist  and 
where  all  is  perfect  as  God  is  perfect,  that  we  can 
look  for  continued  and  entire  harmony. 

Lest  my  reader  should  be  tempted  to  yawn  at 
this  rather  prosy  effusion,  I  append  our  artist's 
sketch  of  the  result  of  such  an  indulgence  on 
shipboard. 

When  near  the  latitude  of  Bermuda,  one  after- 
noon when  it  was  nearly  calm,  we  spied  a  schooner 
ahead  drifting  toward  us.  Visions  of  Nova  Scotia 
potatoes  excited  our  enthusiasm ;  the  boat  was  got 
ready  and  when  the  vessels  were  near  each  other, 
the  mate,  passenger  and  two  sailors  went  off  to 
board  her  in  search  of  news  and  supplies.  The 
passenger  had  on  a  new  cap  of  white  duck  made 
in  naval  style,  and  his  imposing  appearance  perhaps 
accounted  for  the  trepidation  of  the  captain  of  the 
schooner,  who  stood  on  deck  in  his  stockings 
trembling,  as  though  he  might  be  fearing  the  attack 
of  a  pirate.  When  the  mate  politely  presented 
my  compliments  and  asked  for  a  few  potatoes,  his 


■mwrn- 


i'i"«J»i  P»»WWB11^|W 


^Jw'^'.^'-J-'J't.'.l    I.IWJI.I»/iJ^P'»»iiJJI.-,   I.,l^..-'f-i"'."    llt'lH'- 


^^i^i)^i» 


The  effects  of  a  yawn. 


r.\ 


-*;.yiBr- 


SCHOONER  JANE.  829 

assurance  returned  and  lie  was  enthusiastic  in  his 
desires  to  serve  us. 

The  schooner  was  the  "  Jane "  of  Shelburne, 
Nova  Scotia,  ten  days  out  for  Barbadoes.  The 
supplies  obtained  were  salt-fish  and  a  few  potatoes. 
But  the  captain,  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  sent 
me  a  jar  of  preserved  wild  strawberries  gathered 
and  prepared  by  his  wife,  which  he  repeatedly 
assured  the  mate  were  "  real  nice,"  and,  as  though 
he  might  not  be  believed,  he  turned  to  the  man  at 
the  wheel  and  said,  "  Ai'n't  they,  John."  They 
certainly  proved  deserving  of  his  encomium.  We 
got  a  little  country  newspaper,  that  gave  a  few 
items  of  news,  and  a  "  New  York  Ledger,"  which 
proved  to  be  a  year  old. 

She  reported  a  heavy  gale  two  days  before, 
when  we  had  been  in  calm  weather. 

Discussions  of  this  event,  the  news  obtained, 
and  a  salt-fish  dinner  enlivened  a  few  days. 

The  last  Saturday  afternoon  of  the  passage,  the 
decks  were  washed  down  early  and  at  four  o'clock 
all  hands  were  called  aft.  The  captain  took  his 
stand  at  the  capstan  and  the  crew  sitting  on  boards 
laid  upon  deck-buckets,  listened  attentively  to  a 
temperance  lecture,  and  some  warnings  and  in- 
structions about  the  dangers  of  life  on  shore  soon 
to  be  encountered.  Several  signed  the  pledge 
afterwards,  "  Old  Brown  "  among  them. 

The  first  sign  of  our  approach  to  land  was  the 
meeting  with  some  fifty  achooners  mackerel  fishing, 


830  ON   BOABD  THE  EOCKET. 

south  of  Nantucket  Shoals.  As  we  came  among 
them  one  put  his  helm  up,  and  running  down  on  us 
till  his  bowsprit  seemed  nearly  to  touch  us,  he 
sheered  alongside  and  shouted,  "  Cap'n,  do  you 
want  some  fish?  " 

"  Aye !  aye  "  !  I  replied. 

Tlien  the  air  was  filled  with  mackerel  aimed  at 
my  liead  by  a  half-dozen  men,  and  some  of  them 
came  near  the  mark.  Three  schooners  in  suc- 
cession paid  us  this  compliment,  and  all  hands 
had  a  good  supper  and  breakfast  of  mackerel  in 
consequence. 

We  generally  expect  a  gale  when  coming  on  the 
coast  and  always  promote  our  fears  by  recalling 
the  old  rhyme : 

"  If  the  Bermudas  let  you  pass, 
Oh  then  beware  of  Hatteras ; 
If  safely  you  get  by  Cape  May 
You'll  catch  it  sure  in  Boston  Bay." 

This  time  our  fears  were  not  realized. 

We  bent  the  chains  and  put  the  anchors  in  the 
shoes,  and  on  a  Friday  evening  were  almost  within 
range  of  the  Highland  Light  when  a  dense  fog  set 
in  and  deferred  our  hope  of  seeing  it.  The  wind 
was  moderate  from  the  southward  and  we  rounded 
to  every  two  hours  for  soundings,  and  then  kept 
on  the  course.  A  man  was  stationed  on  the  top- 
gallant forecastle  with  a  fog*  horn,  which  he 
sounded  vigorously,  and  now  and  then  received 


Foa.  831 

similar  reaponses  from  neighboring  vessels.  The 
blasfc  of  one  horn  continued  to  draw  nearer  until 
it  seemed  close  by  us,  then  we  heard  a  dog  bark- 
ing and  a  hoarse  voice  sounded  through  the  fog, 
"  How  are  you  steering  ?  " 

"  No'th  by  west,"  said  I. 

"  I'm  heading  east  south  east,"  said  the 
stranger. 

Then  close  alongside  of  us  we  saw  a  schooner. 

"  How  does  Cape  Cod  bear  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Nor'  nor'  west  thirty  miles,"  replied  the  skip- 
per, as  his  craft  vanished  in  the  fog. 

'*  Just  agrees  with  the  chronometer,"  said  I  to 
myself.     "  That's  doing  well." 

"  Pretty  soon  came  another  approaching  blast  of 
the  horn,  and  in  time  came  the  same  question, 
"  How  are  you  steering  ? "  and  a  voice  shouted, 
"  Keep  her  to  the  no'th'ard  and  east'ard  ;  I'm  just 
going  in  stays." 

"Hard  a-port,"  I  shouted  to  the  man  at  the 
wheel,  and  just  as  the  ship's  head  began  to  answer 
to  the  helm,  a  cry  sounded  from  right  under  our 
bow,  "  Hard  a-starboard,  or  you'll  run  into  me."  I 
sprang  to  the  wheel  and  lent  the  man  a  hand  to 
shift  the  helm  over,  and  then  we  saw  a  large  three- 
masted  schooner  with  her  jibboom  almost  grazing 
our  fore  channels. 

•  "  All  right,  Cap'n,  you'll  go  clear ;  I've  got  my 
jibs  aback,"  shouted  a  cheery  voice,  and  then  he, 
too,  drifted  away  into  the  darkness. 


832  ON  BOAED  THE  ROCKET. 

In  the  morning  the  fog  lifted  and  the  wind  came 
out  dead  ahead.  Two  pilot  boats  came  running 
down  from  the  Cape  Ann  shore,  and  the  leading 
one,  being  intent  on  securing  both  our  vessel  and  a 
ship  to  leeward,  dropped  a  pilot  in  a  "  canoe  "  while 
sailing  ten  knots  an  hour,  and  sped  on  to  the  other 
ship,  thus  successfully  cutting  out  her  rival.  The 
pilot  pulled  alongside  of  us,  and  we  took  both  him- 
self and  his  boat  on  board.     Many  eager  questions 

were  asked,  one  of  the  first  being,  if  the  "  F " 

had  arrived  ?  We  were  told  she  had  not,  and  we 
had  the  satisfaction  of  beating  her  eight  days  on 
the  passage.  All  day  we  were  beating  up  the  Bay, 
and  at  10  P.M.  took  a  tow  boat  off  Boston  Light 
whigh  soon  brought  us  alongside  Central  Wharf, 
where  we  made  fast  early  on  a  Sunday  morning 
after  ninety-three  days  passage  from  Padang.  In 
the  morning  I  stepped  on  to  the  wharf  to  take  a 
survey  from  a  new  point  of  view  of  what  had  been 
my  hom«  for  so  many  months.  As  I  was  standing 
near  the  stern  I  noticed  some  sailors  belonging  to 
the  Revenue  Cutter,  sitting  down  with  their  backs 
toward  me  and  their  legs  hanging  over  the  edge  of 
the  wharf.  They  were  discussing  the  looks  of  the 
vessel,  and  I  heard  one  of  them  say,  "  I  wouldn't 
want  to  go  to  sea  in  that  bark.  She  must  be  a 
regular  workhouse.  Everything  aboard  of  her  is 
scraped  bright  from  her  trucks  to  her  fenders. 
Just  see  how  that  royal-yard  shines  I  '■ 


PAYING  OFF.  833 

I  walked  up  to  them  and  said :  "  Boys,  does  she 
lookweU?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  one  that  had  just  spoken  ; 
"  a  neater  looking  vessel  than  that  never  came  into 
this  harbor." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "her  crew  haven't  lost  a  watch 
below  the  whole  voyage." 

"  Oh  I  that's  a  different  thing  then,"  said  he ; 
"  if  a  man  has  watch  and  watch  he's  got  no  right 
to  complain.  Of  course  he  expects  to  work  in  his 
watch  on  deck." 

The  next  day  the  crew  were  paid  off,  all  being 
sober  except  Murphy.  I  handed  hira  his  money 
and  said,  "  Take  good  care  of  that  and  don't  throw 
it  away."  Murphy  was  already  well  past  a  condi- 
tion to  take  care  of  anything.  He  had  indulged 
in  one  good  spree  the  night  before,  and  was  now 
what  would  be  called  "  ugly  drunk."  His  thick 
black  hair  was  tossed  about  in  confusion  over  his 
head,  and  his  dark  eyes  fairly  snapped  with  pas- 
sion. Holding  his  money  in  his  clenched  fist  he 
brandished  it  aloft  and  said,  "  Cap'n,  all  that's  go- 
ing for  rum,"'  and  off  he  went  with  a  waiting  land- 
shark,  who  no  doubt  sent  him  to  sea  within  a  week, 
penniless  and  ragged.  But  everybody  else  was 
sober,  and  on  the  whole  the  crew  made  a  very  cred- 
itable appearance,  so  much  so  that  it  excited  re- 
marks from  many  who  saw  them. 

As  I  went  on  shore  I  met  the  shipping  master, 
old  Capt.  Harding.     "Your    crew  make  a  good 


834  ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 

show  for  themselves  to  day,"  said  he.  "  I  never 
saw  a  more  orderly  set,  or  heard  any  crack  their 
ship  up  quite  so  much.  There  was  one  man  stand- 
ing by  me  while  I  was  talking  to  a  gentleman,  and 
hearing  me  say  something  about  the  bark  he  put 
in  his  handspike  and  said  he,  '  That's  the  best  ship 
tliat  sails  out  of  this  port.  The  captain  of  her  is 
a  gentleman  and  a  sailor  and  a  Christian.  We 
obeyed  him  just  out  of  the  respect  we  had  for  him. 
There's  nothing  of  the  humbug  about  him.  He 
does'nt  go  round  the  decks  trying  to  scare  up 
work  just  to  haze  men.  The  officers  were  good 
men,  too.  They've  kept  us  at  work  pretty  sharp, 
but  we  had  watch  and  watch  the  whole  time, 
south-east  trades  and  all.  She's  in  fine  order  and 
we  did  all  the  work  up  except  to  scrape  the  belay- 
ing pins.  We  had  to  let  those  go.  I'm  sorry  we 
didn't  have  time  to  scrape  thp/mJ* " 

"  After  he  went  away  the  gentleman  said,  *  That 
sounds  well,  doesn't  it  ?  That's  better  than  broken 
heads  and  curses  and  lawsuits.'  I  told  him  I 
thought  I  knew  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  a  sailor, 
but  it  was  something  new  to  me  to  h^ar  one  regret 
he  '  didn't  have  time  to  scrape  the  belaying-pins.'  " 

The  crew  all  went  to  the  Sailors'  Home,  except 
Murphy,  and  behaved  well.  Old  Brown  was  a 
well-known  character  in  Boston,  and  I  was  told 
this  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  kept  sober  in 
port.  His  friends  were  quite  astonished  at  such 
good  conduct.    He  went  to  San  Francisco  on  his 


IN  PORT.  835 

next  voyage,  and  I  heard  afterwards  that  the  mate 
of  the  ship  had  selected  him  as  a  good  man  to 
**  bully,"  he  being  quiet  and  inoffensive.  He  beat 
him  and  drove  him  about  the  decks  in  a  way  that 
completely  disheartened  him,  and  on  reaching  port 
he  took  to  drinking  again  and  was  "  beastly  drunk  " 
all  the  time  he  was  on  jhore. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  crew  all  scattered  on  differ- 
ent voyages,  excepting  four  who  waited  to  sail 
again  with  me  in  another  ship.  I  remember  them 
with  affectionate  interest  and  am  sure  they  hold 
fast  a  pleasant  recollection  of  the  days 

ON  BOARD  THE  ROCKET. 


THE  x^iND. 


